Author's Notes: Okay y'all. After much prompting from my good friend and also very talented Toon, The Banana, I decided to post the fanfiction that is my original. I was very afraid to put it here as this particular story is very close to my heart, but here we are. There are several things that I need to make clear first.
1. While Loud and Clear is still in the works, I've had terrible writer's block with it lately, so I'm taking a small break to refresh. I know where I want the story to go, its just getting there I am unsure of.
2. My fanfictions, like I have said before, rely heavily upon the TTR storyline as its core and backbone. However, don't let that deter you from reading, because this particular book doesn't really delve into it enough to confuse the reader.
3. And lastly, I wrote this story a while back, so it's very, very, cringey. While I don't think of this as my best work, I believe that it's still worth reading.
And that would be all! I hope that you enjoy, and if you have any comments or constructive criticism, please post your thoughts. Thank you to anyone reading!
Somewhere deep, deep below Bossbot Headquarters, amidst many gloomy and drab proceedings, is a place where newly manufactured Cogs are sent to be trained in the ways of their kind. Each type is taught their respective trade - Lawbots are taught Jurisprudence, Sellbots are taught marketing, and so on and so forth. But most importantly, every Cog - no matter their make, model, or type - is trained how to battle, sadden, and defend themselves from the Toons. While not all Cogs are sent to patrol and roam the streets, it is still imperative that they learn the procedures of engagements with the Toon race. These lectures are taught by a dreadfully strict Mingler, who loved nothing more than watching new, eager Cogs graduate her class, ready to destroy any Toons that might get in their way.
Now it was springtime, and a batch of freshly produced Cogs were about to join her class. She was very excited to 'nurture and cultivate' these new recruits, and she had already prepared most of the lessons in advance. The lessons were usually the same every set, but occasionally she liked to, as she put it, 'spice things up'. But this time was a bit different, as she received an unexpected visitor on her first day of class. It was none other than the CEO himself, who rarely came out of his office, save for his favorite pastime of golf. The Mingler, who's name was Mindy ( or Professor Mindy by her students ), was absolutely floored at the sight of him who, after rather clumsily entering her classroom, said, "You are Professor Mindy, I presume?" The Mingler could do nothing more than slightly nod her head in reply. "Wonderful," he continued, somewhat amused at her inability to vocalize. "I understand that the new batch of Cogs are being sent here today from Cog Nation, for their first day of training. Is this correct?"
"Mm-hmm," she answered, beginning to feel a bit nervous.
"Well then, Miss Mindy, I'd like to inform you of a little, well, mishap that has occurred during the production of one of the Cogs partaking in your class. He is a level three Telemarketer Sellbot, named Mark, who seems to have undergone the intelligence portion of his manufacturing... twice. He seems to be alright and functioning as he normally should, but I'd like for you to keep a very close eye on him, and make sure that he doesn't have any, well, disconformities. Do you understand?"
The Mingler suddenly straightened up and said, rather curtly, "Sir, with all due respect, this is not a babysitting service. He will be expected and required to accomplish every task that his colleagues must. Do YOU understand?"
The CEO was stunned that she would be speaking to her superior - the head of all the Bossbots - in such a way. And she was only a Sellbot! His placid temper suddenly changed. "Listen, Mingler," he bellowed, his deep voice rattling out of his large, metal frame, "I don't know who that you think you are, but understand this: your job will be in serious danger if you fail." And with that, he turned around, and left the room.
The Mingler was a bit shaken up, but she soon regained her usual stiff composure at the sound of metal feet pounding the ground. She knew that it was her new students. Her new student... and that thing. One matter that was for certain, however, was that there was no way in Cog Nation that she was going to let a defective Cog ruin her position in Bossbot Headquarters. And go back to marketing in Sellbot HQ? Never! She would make sure of that.
Bossbot HQ was truly a thing to behold. Beneath its rough, cold exterior, and painfully dark atmosphere, the stately mansions were quite exquisite. For a Cog, it was the epitome of everything to be strived for. From its highly-regarded training school, to it simply being the center of every other HQ, it was clearly the subject of much praise. Not from the Toons, of course. And it was no different for Mark, the 'defective' Cog, either. He enjoyed his training there, and would often look forward to the assignments given to him by the Mingler. Things went well, too, until one day he said something that he'd forever regret.
The time had come for Mindy to give her students their final lesson, how to terrorize the Toons. And oh, how excited she was! That is, until a certain Sellbot asked an infuriating question. The heartless Mingler had just finished explaining how to inflict a Paradigm Shift ( a favorite move of hers ), and viciously demonstrating it on a Toon-like statue, when Mark raised his hand.
"Yes Mark?" she said, in an aggravated tone. "What is it?"
He pondered for a moment, and then replied, "I am very confused by this topic. I understand HOW to harm the Toons, but I don't understand WHY. Why must we hurt them?"
A look of intense anger shot across her face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me? What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I'm just having a hard time justifying our reason for this behavior. It just doesn't make sense in my mind. But this is just my humble opinion, Professor. I respect you greatly.
This was too much for the Mingler. She stomped over to where he was sitting, yanked him up by his necktie, and hissed, inches away from his face. "How dare you! How dare you question the proceedings of your kind! You are a disgrace!" She pushed him back down. She looked around the rest of the class, and said, haughtily, "Well then, I guess we've finally found the disconformity!" Some of the others began to whisper amongst themselves, while others just shook their heads.
"I'm very sorry to have offended you. I promise that I am a completely loyal Cog, and I wish nothing more than to fulfil my duties as a Sellbot."
"Oh yes," she answered him, her hate-filled tone changing to one of mischief and cunning. "You will complete my class, receive the Sellbot emblem, and begin working immediately in your HQ. However, I can assure you that if you continue thinking the way that you do now, you will forever be a failure, and will never amount to anything more than just a flawed defect."
End Notes: Gosh, revisiting this, it makes me realize how savage Mindy is. Poor Mark. His life will get better, though, trust me. :)