Chapter III: Worry and Fear
I woke up the next morning feeling worse than ever…in every way possible. I had needed my sleep, and had gotten barely any. I felt to sick to sit up, and my troubles from the night before pounded at my tin heart. Then I noticed something different. The ceiling…where was the light? I looked to my left, and saw…blackness. I felt like my face was smothered in soft fabric…and it was. I looked to my right, now in a panic, and saw the coffee table and TV…then I realized it. I was in our living room. I calmed down, and saw Zuru coming downstairs.
"Z-Zu-Zu, what happened? Did I-I fall asleep here?" I asked him weakly. He stopped at my feet and shook his head, "No, you didn't. I carried you down. You were obviously too hot in those covers, and I'm sure you don't want to spend all day in bed…so spend all day on the couch!"
"Ok, uh, thanks. Where's Tyrelbeetle?"
"You called?" came Tyrelbeetle's voice. I felt his hands on my head and looked back at him. He smiled down at me.
"How're you feeling?" he asked politely. I nodded, "Bad. Worse than last night."
"What about your troubles?"
"Same. Wait, how do you know?" then it hit me, "Zuru! You told him?" I sat bolt upright angrily, but cringed and fell backwards when my stomach ached. I heard the two sigh at my condition, then Zuru answered, "Yes, I told him. Blakbeetle doesn't know, but it's better to tell everyone we can so we don't have to worry about keeping a secret. People and 'bots will know and pester ya' till you tell them anyway!" He giggled, kneeling by my side as he spoke.
"As long as no one tells Blakbeetle…nnnggg…" I closed my eyes, groaning quietly, and felt Zuru give me a brotherly kiss on the forehead, whispering, "You'll be alright," as he pulled away. I smiled meekly.
"Tyrelbeetle? Stay and take care of him, will ya'?" he added as he stood, looking to my…brother…might as well accept that…can't get it out of my mind.
"O-o-of course!" Tyrelbeetle sang slightly in response. Zuru nodded and left, stopping only briefly to pop his shoes on and grab his backpack off the hangers on the wall, "Take care, see ya' later!"
I looked up at Tyrelbeetle as I heard the door shut behind my medafighter.
"T-Tyrelbeetle," I began. He nodded, ushering me to continue, "What do you think of me as?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, his hands still on my head. I reached up and held his hands lightly.
"I mean, ugh…" I can admit, right? I did to Blakbeetle, and look what I got out of that! …troubles. But it shouldn't have the same outcome as admitting to Tyrelbeetle.
"I can't get it out of my mind."
"What's that?" he returned.
"You! Do you think it's possible for medabots to think of each other as…siblings?"
"Are you saying you think the same as me?!"
"Maybe…what are you thinking?"
"Uh…let's just say I'm afraid that if I'm not careful I'll start referring to you as 'brother'."
"Then we are thinking the same thing! I can't get it out of my mind…thinking that you're my brother."
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"Coming, coming!" Blakbeetle shouted as she rushed down the stairs from our room. She stopped by the couch where Tyrelbeetle was sitting with me leaning on his shoulder, my feet on the couch and hands over my stomach.
"You want to come?" she asked us.
"Come where?" Tyrelbeetle asked back.
"Zuru called me over the medawatch. He said we have a robattle challenge from Suzy and Ambiguous-Two!"
"Who-who's we?" I spoke up feebly. Blakbeetle looked to me, a blush illuminating her cheeks. I broke my gaze from her and looked down sadly. I felt her curious and half-worried expression dig into the side of my face. But she answered my question instead of questioning me.
"Brass and me!"
"Why?" both Tyrelbeetle and I asked (again) simultaneously.
"I don't know, but Zuru's my medafighter…for the first time!" She seemed to force her enthusiasm.
"Erika's Brass's, right?" Tyrelbeetle replied.
"As always. We're tag-teaming against Suzy and Ambiguous-Two, want to go?"
"Uh, uhm…sure," Tyrelbeetle and I answered in unison. So we went, with my arms over both Tyrelbeetle's and Blakbeetle's shoulders for balance.
Once we got there, I ran over to Zuru, who was poised for robattle, and latched onto his waist.
"Roks, are you ok?" he asked, rubbing my back with both hands.
"No better than this morning," I answered.
"You don't mind watching, do you?"
"Blakbeetle and Brass robattling? I wouldn't miss that--" I suddenly broke down coughing… coughing up oil, too. Tyrelbeetle ran up to me to assist, and he led me back to the wall where the spectators sat, Zuru patting my back one last time and letting me leave with Tyrelbeetle after 'get well' wishes.
Tyrelbeetle sat me down against the wall, and then sat down next to me, letting me lean on him, and wrapping his arms around me.
The robattle began.
"You know," I began to Tyrelbeetle, "Zu-Zu is probably used to close-range attacks with kuwagata, and Blakbeetle's most definitely a long-range kabuto kilobot."
"Good point. This should be interesting…" he answered, and we watched the robattle. With a command from Erika, Brass powered her Short Shot while Blakbeetle nimbly covered for her, dodging shots from the jewel beetle kilobot swiftly, and then returning the shots.
"Blakbeetle, something familiar: Action mode and get behind him!" Zuru shouted to Blakbeetle with a small giggle.
"Familiar, I'd say," Blakbeetle remarked once transformed and motoring around the MWB-type. She jumped back into normal mode once she was behind Ambiguous-Two and fired missiles at his back. I smiled at her success.
"Ok, good job. We need you to keep him in the line of fire for Brass," Zuru whispered into the medawatch. Blakbeetle nodded and ran to Ambiguous-Two's left side, firing a barrage of lasers from both barrels and missiles, 'Laser Barrage'.
"SHORT SHOT!" Brass cried out as she let the pinkish-red energy ball at the end of her right-arm barrel loose. It connected with the MWB-beetle's chest and exploded on impact, Blakbeetle flipping away from the explosion just in time. Ambiguous-Two staggered backwards as the smoke and dust cleared, only to be caught in another barrage of lasers and missiles, this time from both of his opponents. Another cloud of smoke and dust formed around where he stood, and eventually the girls stopped firing. The cloud cleared. There was a brown burn spot on the ground, but no Ambiguous-Two.
"Where'd he go?" The girls' medafighters demanded. A flash and a hard punch to the back caught my Beebe off guard, and she stumbled forward. Regaining her balance, she looked behind her to see what hit her, but was punched in the face. I gasped and strained to hear Zuru's medawatch information.
Head--sixty percent damage. Warning. Optical shutdown. I winced as I forced myself to look at Blakbeetle. She was on her knees on the ground, bracing herself up with her arms, and head bowed, as Ambiguous-Two punched her mercilessly, and strangely quite fast and nimbly. He didn't stand in one spot, but ran around her in flashes. With every punch, I cringed with Beebe. Trying to get my focus off the punches, I looked closely at Blakbeetle's face to see the damage the jewel beetle inflicted. Her visor was cracked in the shape of a lightning bolt from the top left corner and down to meet the 'patch' over her other eye. The front middle of her visor, right where the punch hit, was dented in like a crater, and her muzzle bent in an odd fashion, pulling back just enough on either side to show her mouth. Her teeth were gritted tightly through the pain.
I heard Zuru mumble something, and refocused my attention to the rest of the battle. Blakbeetle raised her head and fired her missiles, timing them to explode within a foot radius. As they exploded, Blakbeetle jumped away. In time? I don't know. Ambiguous-Two went flying away from her, landing at Suzy's feet. Then I saw Blakbeetle, on her back and struggling to get up. I heard the damage reports from the medawatch as Brass ran after Ambiguous-Two with a command from Erika.
Head Arrangement--twenty percent damage--eighty percent damaged. Ballister Cannons offline. Right arm--thirty percent damage. Left arm--twenty-eight percent damage. Legs--fifteen percent damage. I winced again with a small moan. Beebe now had at least some damage on every part.
As Brass and Ambiguous-Two had a shoot-off, I heard Suzy groan and say, "Those speed upgrades are supposed to make him untouchable! Kam promised!"
'More upgrades from Kam, huh? Why now? What's he up to? First power upgrades, now speed, and we haven't seen hide or hair of Kam himself!' I clutched my stomach as it painfully lurched, gripping Tyrelbeetle's upper arm, and my head began to throb. My vision faded to fuzz, then back again, then to fuzz, and so on. My entire body started shaking as I saw triple in the moments my vision wasn't fuzz. I could faintly feel Tyrelbeetle pull me closer worriedly, whispering, "Roks?!" Well, I bet he didn't whisper it, but that's how I heard it. Tears of pain streaked down my face as I sobbed quietly, pressing my head against Tyrelbeetle's chest. I tried to hang on in my mind, latching on to Tyrelbeetle and hanging on externally, but the darkness tugged at me. I felt like elastic, being stretched one way while the rest of me hung on to where I was. I wanted to see how the robattle ended. I wanted to see…my--girl…win.
I sat up suddenly with a scream, but fell back onto the red-planked bench when my nausea, weakness, and dizziness came back to me. I squeezed my eyes shut. But they popped open, acknowledging the 'bench' part. I jerked my head to my right to see Brass and Blakbeetle, both severally damaged but ok, along with Tyrelbeetle, Zu-Zu, Erika, Ikki, Metabee (Ikki and Metabee with an uncharacteristically worried expression, just as everyone else, but it was strange on them), Ginkai, and Arc-Dash. As I looked around to see where I was, I breathed heavily and fast. I was hyperventilating. I found I was across the road from Miss Nae's workshop.
"Wha-what happened?! What's going on? What am I doing here?!" I exclaimed, sounding terribly scared out of my mind, which I was.
"Roks! Calm down, buddy! Relax! It's ok!" Zuru soothed, pulling me into one of his wonderful warm embraces. I calmed my breathing as best I could. "It's ok, it's ok. Ok…you just fainted. We brought you here as soon as we could. Everything's gonna' be alright, bud."
"Z-Zu-Zu, I honestly don't remember fainting…did I?" I returned quietly.
"Yes, you did. But you're ok…" Zuru answered.
"Good. He's alive. We can go now, Arc-Dash," I heard Ginkai say, but it was outside of this hug, so it didn't matter. I heard him and Arc-Dash leave. I heard Miss Nae call for Brass and Blakbeetle to fix them. I heard them reluctantly leave. I heard Erika, Ikki and Metabee go with to help. None of it mattered at the moment. Then I heard Tyrelbeetle leave and come back, followed by him wrapping me in a warm wool blanket and hugging me from behind. Zuru whispered something in my sound receptor that sounded like, "We all know what you said about there being nothing anyone can do, and it's up to your systems to work it out now, to be true, but maybe there's something Miss Nae, of all people, can do to at least ease the symptoms." I nodded feebly, and then took a nap in the arms of two of my three favorite people and 'bots. But before I fell asleep, I asked, "How'd the battle go?" I heard them answer in unison.
"Your girl won."
Later, we returned home, finally. Blakbeetle and Brass were repaired, but Miss Nae looked me over and couldn't do anything. She just said to take it easy and let my systems relax. But she wasn't even sure of that. But I was doing it anyway, lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. I felt worse. I could barely breathe, and I felt pure, throbbing pain in my stomach, mixed with nausea. My head hurt, as if my horns were on too tight. I was overheating. Either Blakbeetle or Tyrelbeetle had put a cool, wet cloth on my forehead to try to bring down my temperature, but it wasn't working too well. Finally, Zuru brought me out of my daze by shaking me lightly and saying, "It's ready. C'mon. I'll help you up." I allowed him to help me up and upstairs. I was rather helpless, actually. He brought me to the bathroom. The bathtub was full of warm, while still cool, water mixed evenly with a cleaning and/or system-flushing solution. It's supposed to flush out my systems, though the solution has a history of not working. But we were desperate to get me feeling better. Zuru, Tyrelbeetle, and Blakbeetle helped me in, and Zuru held my head, carefully laying me back in the tub. He took my hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. Strangely enough, as the solution soaked in, it started hurting my systems even more. Zuru had predicted that, and when I told him his prediction came true, he said I shouldn't worry about it. It's just flushing out my systems…supposedly. I sunk down deeper, eyes closed, hoping it would end soon. I felt something lightly touch my forehead, and opened my eyes to find Zuru had given me another brotherly kiss, and was now laying a cool rag on my forehead. I smiled at him weakly. He splashed some of the solution on my arm he was holding out of the water. I closed my eyes and relaxed as the pain turned to a massaging, numb sensation. It actually felt good. I felt a thump in my stomach, and my eyes popped open as I started coughing, as if I was choking on something. I pulled my hand from Zuru's and clutched it over my chest. If this was what I thought it was, it didn't hurt as much as usual. It must have something to do with the solution, I thought. I held my breath. A moment later, I leaned over the edge of the tub and vomited. Oil. Just oil. The solution hadn't pushed the applesauce (don't say that everyday) out of me. I felt metal hands on my neck, the thumbs rubbing my neck softly. Then I felt that 'whoever's head lean face-first on mine. I looked up cautiously to see it was Blakbeetle! I smiled, but then vomited again. Zuru patted my back, but I could tell he didn't want to disturb Blakbeetle in her position. I didn't want him to disturb her, either. Despite my troubles, I like being with her and around her. I guess that's what love is.
Not too much later, I was sitting shivering in a ball right outside the bathroom, Zuru frantically trying to dry me. I leaned on him as he wrapped his arms around me to dry my opposite side.
"I'm so-so cold…" I uttered through shivers. I felt him acknowledge that by pulling me closer, rubbing my side through the towel. I couldn't help but smile slightly.
Once dry, he and my girl and brother helped me into bed. There was definitely more covers for me that night. But the cold was on the inside, so it didn't help much.
I could tell Tyrelbeetle and Zuru wanted to leave Blakbeetle and me alone together. Zuru went to do his homework. An acceptable excuse. But Tyrelbeetle helping with dinner? A little to obvious…but I didn't care. I liked it, and wanted to rest.
I curled into a ball under the covers, shivering like mad. I pulled the covers over my head. Yeah, that helped…it only made it harder to breathe, so I uncovered my head.
Why did I swallow that applesauce?! I could have spit it out easily, right?! I'm so stupid--no. I'm not gonna' start thinking like that! But I am…no! It's all my fault I'm putting myself and friends and girlfriend and brothers through this! Brother-S? Plural? Zuru, a human, my, a medabot, brother?! What am I getting myself into?! This is messing up my systems more than I thought. …Then again, hints of those new relations--like brother and girlfriend--have been showing through for longer than I've been sick. I told Blakbeetle, now Tyrelbeetle, but what would Zuru do if I told him? He's a human, and I'm a medabot! I'm inferior! He's my master! …right? Or are we equal? Can I think of him as my brother? Or am I superior? …that's wrong, as in 'bad', thinking, but…no, a robot is not superior to humans because humans created us. But some humans are smarter than others, and the smarter ones created us. But Zuru is a smarter one. But is he my brother, too? Like Tyrelbeetle? Are we equal in this sense, at least? Can I be better than what I always thought of myself as? …what? What did I always think like? That I'm no good compared to Zuru…or anyone for that matter? Now that I think about it, which is a strange thing for me (there's a hint…), I did always put myself down…
-----------------------------------------------------------------Flashback----------------------------------------------------------------
"From this day on," Zuru, as the Mystery Medafighter, began telling me the heartbreaking news, standing facing each other on the bridge over the busy road, at night in the equally busy town (equally?), "I will have no further need for you." …what? Did he just do what I thought he did? I wanted to lash out. I wanted to object. But most of all, I wanted to cry. But not in front of him. I can't do any of that in front of him. It was his wish for that…that. I'll just leave it at 'that'. I don't know what to call it. He knows what's better for me…what's better for us. This is better. Somehow, someway, that I don't see, this is better. He wants what is better for me…right? He cares about me. He does! He really does! …No! He doesn't! …Yes, he does! He would only do what is better. …He treats me like an object. A kilobot-killer object. He uses me to no extent. Why should I care if he aban--no! Don't say it! It's for the better. I know it. He didn't 'abandon' me, he just…what did he do then? TELL ME!
"Whatever you wish,"--a silent, shadowed tear rolled down my face, going easily unnoticed--"Master…" He took off his medawatch and handed it to me.
"Goodbye," with that, he turned and left the bridge, leaving me alone, with nothing and no one, in the middle of the bridge.
"Y-yes Master…" I'm not going to run after him! It's his wish. Who am I to object?! I'm just a robot, a toy. A toy for destruction in this case. I guess it is better. I'm not just a pawn, a toy for destruction, an object, anymore. …I'm not even a 'he'. What's good in being an 'it'?
"…but it's his wish."
-------------------------------------------------------------End Flashback--------------------------------------------------------------
To add to my shivers, I started sobbing, as quietly as I could, but I cried. Blakbeetle, sitting on the edge of the bed next to me, noticed.
"Wha-what's wrong?" she asked worriedly. I looked up at her. I shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts out of my mind. It didn't help, though. The memories hung with me. Does he still think of me as an object? He seems to have gotten over that, but…there were times in the past that he seemed to have gotten over that, but turned around and did it again. I had to say something. If he really cares…I don't know…
"Z-Zu-Zu? Can w-we talk, please?" I asked quietly, looking over at Zuru at his desk. He looked back at me, immediately noting that I wasn't only shivering, but crying. As he rolled over to me in his chair, I could tell he was so worried he didn't know what to do…that's what it was, right?
"What is it, buddy?" he asked quietly once Blakbeetle had gone--somewhere.
"Re-remember that time you-you abandoned me for that kilobot?" I asked, tears welling up in my eyes and streaking down my face at the memory.
"Sadly, yes. Why?" the black-haired-brown-eyed boy returned.
"You won't ever do something like that again, like treating me like an object, right? And I want a straight answer," I added, rubbing my stomach in the lower part of my diamond-shaped torso nervously.
"I-I can't give you that. I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know." He reached up and petted my metal cheek lightly, smiling at me. "But I sure hope not."
"You aren't lying, right?" I asked, not expecting a truthful answer.
"What can I do to make you believe me?"
"I-I don't know…just don't ever do that to me I guess…"
"What brings this up?"
"Well, you know Tyrelbeetle and I think of each other as brothers, right? I think I'm thinking the same with you, but I don't know if it's a good thing--let's just leave it at that." I didn't want to tell him, but…something told me to…
"Of course it's a good thing! I don't have any siblings, so I'd love to have one! Well, two! You and Tyrelbeetle." It's good? We can be brothers? No kidding?! YES!
"…not what I was expecting. So, it's agreed?" I get an enthusiastic nod at that. "Thank you, Zu-Zu, my brother…"
I repeat my OC-OOC question! Ok, it might be awhile before chap. four, 'cause I have to write it yet! These were all pretty much finished by the time I started posting them. But I have the storyline, so I won't keep ya' waitin' too long! I know how that feels when ya' like a story (guessing you like this one according to the reviews...)! PLZ R&R (I'm beginning to think that's required...oh, and I still no own!)