New Bot on the Block

Chapter 27: When Sparks Fly

Nora was tapping her right heel nervously as she sat on the edge, looking uncertain about what she found on the recently decrypted data. She then heard knocking on her bedroom door and said "Come in…" She witnessed the doorknob twist and it opened to see Jenny peering through the crack and she said "Hey mom… Um, listen… There's something you should know and I warn you… in advance… You're not going to like who's going to confess it." Nora raised her eyebrow and said questionably "Okay…"

Jenny then opened the door fully and gestured Leo in; Nora was astounded to see a similar robot like Jenny entering her room, before she realised it was Leo himself. Leo made an awkward wave at Dr Wakeman, which the latter blinked twice in surprise, before she snapped out of her trance and said as though she never noticed Leo "Jenny, I need you to see this…"

Leo lowered his hand in unease as Nora went over to her terminal to bring up the decrypted files from the Cluster Pod; Leo sighed uncomfortably and closed his eyes with a frown, when Jenny puts her hand on Leo's shoulder and looked at him in concern. She then whispered to him softly "Leo… It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Leo opened his optics a little and smiled at Jenny with a slight blush, before Jenny went pass him with a peck on the cheek and looked at the terminal screen over her mother's shoulder to see a brief surveillance footage of Leo in the briefing room. Nora widened her eyes and uttered "I should have known…"

Leo paced slowly behind Dr Wakeman and peered at the terminal screen to see the surveillance footage of the briefing room; he sighed in irritation and said, startling Nora from her chair "Let me decrypt the rest of the data drive…" Leo knelt down and helped Nora up on her feet, before he sat on the desk chair and started to decrypt the rest of the data drive.

Nora then sat on the edge of her bed and whispered to Jenny "Jenny… I don't want you to see that boy again…" Jenny then retorted "Why? Because of a few seconds of surveillance footage? For all you know, there's more footage than that! Besides, he confided to me on his past and he didn't do any harm to us!"

Nora made a defeated sigh, when Leo pressed the last key and he said "Alright, here we go! Everything on the drive's decrypted!" Nora and Jenny then hopped off the former's bed and looked at the terminal screen to see multiple surveillance footage in chronological order.

(Surveillance Footage Plays)

The first recording is above the capsule where Leo is built; Vexus and some of the R&D staff were in front of it. Vexus then asked the Head R&D Technician "Is he ready?" The Head Technician nodded his head, before he opened the capsule door; as mist seeped out of the slowly opening capsule, Vexus laughed devilishly and exclaimed "Finally, I've manage to have a weapon that's better than XJ-9! He'll be strong, he'll be fast, he… is asleep?"

Leo was indeed fast asleep in the stasis capsule, snoring softly with his optics gently closed. (Nora and Jenny made a grin at the footage) Vexus then said "Designation YJ-9, wake up!" Leo didn't stir awake, which Vexus rubbed the back of her head in puzzlement and repeated in a firmer voice "Designation YJ-9, wake up!" Leo didn't jerk awake from that, which Vexus started to grip her hands tight and yelled "WAKE UP, YOU BUCKET OF BOLTS!"

Leo still didn't stir awake, so Vexus tried shocking him, splashing scalding hot oil, bellowing a megaphone and used every musical instrument as loud as she can; Leo began to open his optics a little, which Vexus broadened her malicious smile, before Leo closed his optics again and went back to sleep. Vexus went on a tantrum, when Vega came into the camera's view and shook her head in annoyance before she went over to Leo and nudged him in the shoulder, getting him to jerk out of his sleep.

(Jenny asked Leo "You were pretending to sleep, weren't you?" Leo nodded in an amusing smile, which Jenny giggled a little as Nora made an amusing grin) Leo stepped off the capsule as Vexus turned around and ordered the Head R&D Technician to take Leo for a physical examination, which Leo curtly nodded with a puzzled expression.

Leo then walked with Vega, following the Head R&D Technician to the med-bay, as the screen went static and the next video showed Leo being taught of horoscopes from Vega in the med-bay. Vega said in the middle of her explanation "…and this horoscope symbol, which looks like a sideways '69', is the sign of Cancer. The creature that belongs to Cancer are crabs, as you can see a pic right here; THIS horoscope symbol is Leo, which represents a lion."

Leo smiled at the horoscope symbol he was named after, which Vega turned her head and said "You like that horoscope, Leo?" Leo turned his head to Vega with his brow raised and said in puzzlement "Leo?" Vega closed her eyes happily and nodded, before the Head R&D Technician came into the room and gestured Leo towards the System Analysis Scanner, before the screen went static again. (Nora then asked Leo "So, you were named after the horoscope symbol of the same name?" Leo nodded with his optics closed gently, before Nora shrugged and continued to watch the next footage)

The screen showed Leo finishing off deflecting energy shots with his energy blades in the training arena; Vexus then said over the P.A. as the turrets were submerged into the ground "Okay YJ-9, your next test will come up in a few minutes…" Leo nodded up at the observation window and puts his arms behind his back, when large training robots emerged from below, surrounding Leo as he looked around in surprise. Vexus then said through the P.A. "That wasn't the test! Unfortunately, I can't disable the test for some reason!"

Leo sighed in annoyance, before he parried the first large robot and threw him against a group, before he jumped over the robots and pelted them with his quantum hand-cannons. When 10 robots are remaining, Leo withdrew his hand-cannons and got out his energy blades before he fluently took down the robots without as much as a scratch.

He took down the last robot with a large quantity of flurry slices, reducing it into sparking bits and pieces; Leo looked around in a serious expression, surrounded by scraps of hacked off robot parts, when Vexus turned on the P.A. and said in a shocked voice "Well done… very well done indeed…"

The footage then went static for a few moments for the next recording, which shows the Cluster Cafeteria. (Nora and Jenny slowly looked at each other in shock, before they returned their gaze to the terminal screen in astonished looks) Leo then suddenly entered the camera view from the bottom right and made a cringe at the sight of the cafeteria, when Vega, who also appeared from the bottom right, tapped him on the shoulder and Leo wheeled around and said in surprise "Oh! Hi there, Vega!"

Vega replied cheerfully to Leo "Hey, Leo! I thought I might stop by to have lunch with you. I brought you some food… Here we are." Leo took the food box from Vega and looked in, before he closed it and let out a sigh of relief, before he and Vega went to an empty table in the corner before they ate in content.

Leo said as he ate the food Vega brought "Thank you for getting me some non-cafeteria food, Vega. The ones here are rather… well, they're rather nasty really." Vega replied as she dug in her salad "Not a problem, Leo… I mean, the cafeteria isn't exactly inspiring; the walls look like they've been coated in forest green venom."

Leo nodded as he chewed on some meat, before he gulped and said as he was unbottling some purified water "Not sure if you heard recently, but Vexus wants me in the Orientation Hall an hour's time from now. From the tone of her voice, it sounds rather crucial." Vega stopped eating her salad as she looked bewildered at Leo, before she replied after a big swallow "It's not often that mother makes a crucial plan; even if you mentioned her serious tone, it definitely won't be a pacifist route."

Leo closed his optics and heaved a sigh, before he said as he nudged his food with a fork "Honestly, I don't want to be a weapon… I just want to be an ordinary robot, not being pulled in something I'm not prepped for." Vega reached out for Leo's hand and rubbed it with her thumb, before she replied softly "Leo… you're the kind of guy that every girl dreams of being with. Kind, caring, protective, polite… those traits are more than enough to describe your true self."

Leo looked up at Vega, who's looking at him in assurance, before he smiled at her and said "You're right Vega… Those traits fit me well enough. Even if I was involved in whatever plan Vexus has, I won't ever agree to take part of it." Vega closed her optics happily, before she changed the subject "Anyway, we should finish our food…" Leo nodded and they continued to eat their meal as the surveillance cam went static.

(Nora looked at Leo bewildered and inquired "You'd never wanted to be a weapon?" Leo looked at Nora and shook his head with his optics closed, before Nora nodded her head a little with her lips pursed a bit and returned her gaze to the terminal) The surveillance cam then showed the orientation room, with Vexus, Leo, Cluster Elites and R&D Technician's.

Vexus then cleared her throat and said "Alright ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for me to reveal the crucial plan I've come up with. Now, as many of you know, we attempted to conquest the planet Earth many times…"

The Projector screen showed the image of Earth, which everyone, save for Leo and Vexus, nodded and Vexus continued "We've been thwarted many times by the Sky Patrol and their allies, especially one by the name of 'Nora Wakeman'." The projector screen changed to a picture of Nora analysing DNA through a microscope, which everyone booed at the image; Leo, though, blinked twice and though "She doesn't look like a threat… I don't see the point of harming her…"

Vexus then turned her gaze to the audience and said "Wakeman had helped the Sky Patrol in repelling our forces in the past, but now we had even more trouble with her latest creation: A Global Protector Robot named XJ-9 aka 'Jenny'." Even Vexus hissed along with the crowd at the clipping of Jenny raining down missiles down the Cluster Ships; Leo, however, blushed red at the clipping, thinking to himself "Wow… She's… She's an amazing robot…"

Vexus then noted "Even I have to admit, she's been a thorn on my side. But now, we have the antithesis we need to finally overtake the Earth!" The crowd sneered malevolently at Vexus, as Leo is lost in thought of romantic scenarios of him and Jenny. Vexua then firmly said "The first step in the crucial plan is that we send a small number of cloaked ships in Earth's low orbit…"

Leo is in the middle of thinking about him and Jenny kissing under the starry night, as Vexus continued "Then YJ-9 is then sent out on to the planet's surface and grabs XJ-9's attention…" Leo closed his optics happily and smiled broadly, as Vexus finished "When he grabbed XJ-9's attention, they'll battle until XJ-9 is vanquished!"

Leo's daydreaming was shattered when he widened his optics in surprise and said to Vexus "I beg your pardon?" Vexus then replied to Leo in a malevolent glare "You're going down to the Earth and annihilate XJ-9, allowing us to—" Leo waved his hands as he stood up abruptly and said firmly "No no no! I'm NOT going along with this plan, this is just so genocidal!"

The crowd whispered to each other of Leo's unexpected reaction, when Vexus hopped off the stage and said in a venomous leer "It seems you have forgotten your place in the plan. You were built for one purpose: To destroy YJ-9 and help the Cluster take over the earth! Unless you are training or having a systems check, you shall stay in the capsule. You're not allowed to interact with other individuals, especially with teenagers! Do I make myself clear, YJ-9?"

Leo looked down and gripped his hands tightly before he muttered under his breath "Leo…" Vexus raised her brow and questioned "What was that?" Leo retorted loudly "Leo! Call me Leo! I changed my name to Leo!" Vexus made a sound of disgust with Leo as she facepalmed herself, as Leo explained "So what I was built for you guys? Just because I was built like a weapon, it doesn't mean I SHOULD be one! I'm not going along with this plan, I WON'T go along with it!"

Vexus shook madly at Leo's moral standing and ordered her men to send Leo to the capsule for termination. Leo was then moved out of the room by two Elites, before the footage went static. (Jenny was blushing crimson red and asked Leo "You… You fell in love with me in the orientation?" Leo blushed a deep red, before he nodded and added "I still do…" Jenny pecked him in the cheek affectionately, as Nora is astonished to see Leo really isn't affiliated with the Cluster, before she turned her gaze to the terminal; Jenny did the same after covering Leo's face in kiss marks)

The surveillance footage then showed Cluster Marksmen taking cover behind energy shields, when a stream of Quantum Energy took them out non-lethally and particles formed into Leo, who looked down at them and said "Watch your heads…" Leo ran through the corridor as Vexus said through the P.A. "YJ-9, be reasonable. There's only one of you and lots of Cluster troops on this ship. Do yourself a favour and turn back to the capsule." Leo replied loudly "Yeah… Pass."

As Leo turned a corner, he came across Cluster Sphere Drones, who had their blades ready; Leo then gripped his fists and charged at them, before he unsheathed his energy blades and took them down fluently. After that, he continued heading for the escape pods as Vexus called out through the P.A. "I won't let you escape this ship alive! Just do the right thing and turn back; you'll be welcomed back with open arms!" Leo then retorted "Yeah, I'd rather be down, sparking lifelessly than go through with your plan!"

As he rounded to the corridor heading to the escape pods, he came across 2 large Cluster Heavies; he then rushed at them as they fired their missiles at Leo, who athletically dodged them by spinning in the air horizontally, before he got out his dual hand-cannons and pelted them until they're ash. As Leo pried open the door, Vexus said through the P.A., now more aggravated "This is your final warning, YJ-9! Turn around right now before things become drastic!" Leo then retorted "Nope!"

Leo then opened the door to see the bridge leading to the escape pods retracting towards the walls; he then rushed along the retracting room and made a leap, before he fell down with a yelp. Vexus laughed devilishly, before she saw, to her own astonishment, that Leo is flying with thrusters installed on his palms and feet; he then pried open the escape pod bay doors open and evaded inside to see, much to his surprise, Vega is in there as well.

Leo then said in surprise "Vega! What are you doing here?" Vega then dragged him to an open hatch as she replied "Helping you escape!" Leo then asked "Escape to where?" Vega then replied as she got a spray can out "Earth! You'll be okay there!" Leo then inquired "In a Cluster-made escape pod?"

Vega ignored him and spun him around as she sprayed him with light blue paint with paint goggles over her optics and a face mask over her mouth, before she stopped Leo spinning and looked at him in the same colouration at Jenny, although he staggered a little, before Vega directed him through the hatch and closed him in the pod. Leo puts his hands on the small window on the hatch, as Vega waved him goodbye visibly saddened, before the Pod was launched en-route to Earth.

Vexus then said through the P.A. "Computer! Turn around and blast that pod into pieces!" The Flagship's AI then replied in monotone "Auto-Navigation disabled… External Weapons Systems disabled… Lock-on functions disabled." Vexus twitched her left optic in fury, before she subtly said under her gritted teeth "Well, that Failsafe Chip should work at least…"

(Surveillance Footage Ends)

Nora and Jenny backed their heads away in heavy astonishment, before they looked at each other without changing their expressions as Leo typed on the keyboard before he went to a file titled 'YJ-9 Blueprints'. Leo wheeled around the desk chair and said "Alright Mrs Wakeman, here's your stolen and modified blueprint on-screen."

Nora turned her head, before Leo hopped off the chair and went next to Jenny, who's looking at him without still changing her expression. Nora rubbed her chin in thought, before she gestured Jenny to the screen and said "This is certainly a similar build for your model, Jenny. Looks like this modified build is more resilient, more fluent and much more powerful than the original; admittedly, I AM curious of this mode called 'Overdrive'."

Jenny puts her hand over her mouth and tapped her index finger before she replied "Maybe so mom, but the surveillance footage shows us that Leo won't harm us; also, he was built by the Cluster, but defected from them because… he… fell for me." Jenny clasped her hand over her mouth with a deep blush and her optics welled tears of joy, as Nora patted her robot daughter's back and turned her head to Leo, who stared at her blankly.

Nora then made a smile and gestured her head to Jenny, prompting Leo to smile warmly and approached Jenny, before he tapped her shoulder gently. Jenny wheeled around slowly, before she looked at Leo with teary eyes and threw her arms around Leo's neck and hugged him tight while sniffing with a broad smile. Leo widened his optics briefly, before he endearingly smiled at Jenny and hugged her back.

Jenny then retracted her head to press her forehead on Leo's, before she opened her tear-stricken optics a little to look at Leo lovingly; they then pecked each other affectionately, when their sparks fizzed wildly. Nora widened her eyes when she heard their sparks flared wildly, before she understood what it means: Leo's and Jenny's Sparks are 2 sides of the same.

Leo and Jenny made an awkward chuckle, before Jenny pulled Leo back to her room, closing Nora's Bedroom door and her own when they arrived. They then stood aside the windows as the moonlight shines through them in a beautiful silver-ish light, reflecting the polished metallic surfaces from Leo's and Jenny's bodies.

They then held their hands together as they looked at each other endearingly, before they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed passionately as their sparks flared like wildfire. Suffice to say, this is the most romantic moment they have ever shared so far, yet they both knew that there is no mistaking they were made for each other.