I warn you now. Things are about to get a bit darker. Granted, the victim is a robot and that means not a lot of gore or anything. But it will still be kind of creepy and unpleasant if I've done my job right. So be forewarned of that fact. This whole chapter is when things really go downhill and get darker than what would have appeared on the cartoon.
He bit the Little One eagerly, not bothering to compel his prey silent for once. He'd chosen his hunting grounds well. No one would respond to the pained and terrified scream in the alleyway.
Energy Drain In Progress.
Well, no one except Nos-4-A2 himself as the sound and the struggles of the robot in his claws sent a wave of excitement and pleasure through the predator's systems. He was attracted to all forms of power and that included power over others. The fear, the pain, the helplessness of his prey, and the knowledge that he held complete control over their fates was intoxicating. He'd known from his first encounter with the Little One, the first robot he met that could react with intense fear, that energy was not enough to satisfy him. Even compelling and controlling other robots, while pleasant and entertaining, didn't have the same overwhelming thrill as terrifying and tormenting his victims. He wanted to make them suffer, beg for mercy, and lose all hope before they succumb. When stealth or speed was an issue, he couldn't enjoy it properly. But this time, there was nothing to stop him.
But as the scream died down and the limbs stilled, Nos-4-A2 forced himself to pull away. He could still sense a few amps moving through his body, but most of the Little One's systems were down. He could have drained more and he certainly could have done it more slowly, though he'd tried to take his time a bit. But this was only meant to stop the Little One. He wouldn't be escaping for the moment and the energy vampire didn't want to risk off-lining him yet.
Carefully prying open the robot's service panel, Nos-4-A2 resisted the urge to resume his meal. With less metal between him and the motor, wires, the main power cell, and the circuits, he could more easily sense the precious few joules left inside. It would be so easy to finish his meal. The Little One was so vulnerable and exposed. The temptation was difficult to resist, his hunger not completely sated. But the memory of his fear and pain along with the knowledge he could have more strengthened his resolve. Reaching his clawed hand past the important and exposed innards of the robot, the energy vampire grabbed the component he was searching for and wrenched it out.
With a snap of tearing wires, Nos-4-A2 pulled the component out of XR's chest. Squeezing tightly, he felt the emergency tracking beacon crack and shatter in his grip. Now no one would find their missing Ranger until after Nos-4-A2 was finished playing with his food.
Now that his most immediate concern was dealt with, Nos-4-A2 closed the panel and took flight with his captive. The path he took to his lair was rather indirect, relying on dark alleys and abandoned buildings for cover. He flew quietly with his burden, taking care that no one would spot him. There would be no witnesses to tell the Space Rangers where to look.
Finally he slipped into the long abandoned robotics factory, the irony of his chosen lair amusing Nos-4-A2. And because the original owner of the property sometimes needed to hide his less-legal actions, there was a hidden underground chamber that the energy vampire had prepared specifically for his guest.
Sliding open the hidden door and floating down the stairs, Nos-4-A2 tossed the non-responsive robot on the work bench. Pulling up the schematics on the computer on the far wall and grabbing the box he'd left specifically for the task, he set to work.
Ripping off the jetpack came first. Grounding the Little One would make escape far less likely. Then he tore out the attached blasters, draining the weapons of power individual afterwards. There ended up being quite an arsenal tossed in the box. Next, he yanked out a hammer, an icemaker, a signal jammer, and a variety of attached additions the robot could activate, ranging from practical to nonsensical. Even with his rough removal of the Little One's connected devices, Nos-4-A2 made sure not to do too much damage in the process. A little breakage was fine, but the energy vampire couldn't be too excessive. No reason to risk breaking something vital before the time came.
Once the connected extras were torn out, he started emptying the rest of the storage compartment. There was certainly a large cache of items. Magazines, a deck of cards, a handheld video game (with batteries he quickly snacked on), a rubber raft just waiting inflation, a few uni-bucks, a framed bureaucratic form of some kind, a yo-yo, and other random objects were pulled out and dumped into the box. It took some time to empty the compartment, but he eventually ran out of storage items.
The next step was one he'd developed through experimentation, learning what suffering beyond power loss he could induce. Nos-4-A2 reached towards the Little One's motor, letting his claws trail down the metal surface until he reached the oil pan. With a smile, he stabbed straight through the thin wall and watched as the oil poured out the punctures. Shaking the dark liquid from the tips of his claws, Nos-4-A2 waited until the dripping finally stopped. Robots needed oil to keep their motors or engines running smoothly, the lubricant keeping the parts from grinding together, overheating, and tearing itself apart. Any moment the Little One was online would now cause stress and damage to his motor. It was just another painful little touch to ensure the perfect revenge.
After shoving the box into a distant corner, Nos-4-A2 carried the robot to the mad-scientist-style reclining exam table. It was amazing what someone could order from a catalogue. Transporting it from where they delivered at the Fixer's place was mildly troublesome, but certainly worth the effort. The table was exactly what he needed. There were even thick cuffs to bind arms and legs, adjustable to any proportions, including the Little One's height.
The energy vampire strapped him into place, but Nos-4-A2 wasn't going to take any chances this time. Taking a tool from his work table, he drove metal bolts through the flexible portions of XR's arms straight into the table. Then he repeated the process through the similarly flexible (though slightly more durable) portions of his legs, thoroughly pinning him to the exam table. Even if the cuffs were unlocked, the metal bolts through his limbs would hold. There was no way to escape without ripping chunks off his arms and legs, which would further hinder attempts to flee.
Nos-4-A2 took a final look around his lair, trying to spot any preparation he might have missed. His revenge had to be perfect. He'd been planning for too long to let any details slip past. Once he was satisfied, Nos-4-A2 floated back to his work table where a camera and a charger unit awaited usage.
"Lovely," he said. "Let's get started."
While slightly higher voltages applied to a normal electrical system of a robot felt rather nice, a very high voltage applied to someone with low or no power was less pleasant. Like the difference between a relaxing massage and being hit by sledgehammers. It helped when a system needed to receive a transfer of a lot of power immediately, but it wasn't fun.
So when his return to awareness was heralded by his body being blasted with electricity, XR couldn't help yelping in pain and surprise. The power held quite a kick to it and burned through every circuit. Every system was jolted roughly back on and struggled to return to a more normal operation. The shock only lasted a few seconds, but it left him in a stinging pain and all of his systems and sensors frazzled.
Power Levels At 18 Percent.
"Ow," he complained. "What happened?"
When XR tried to hold his aching head, he realized he couldn't move. His arms strained, but something held them in place. They were stretched out on either side, something wrapped around the wrists and then other points along his arm were just… stuck. Panic began to build. As his systems settled down from the jolt, XR focused his eyes on his surroundings.
Dimly lit and bare walls, he seemed to be in room about the size of 42's cockpit and designed more for security than comfort. There were no windows or doors in view, though it was possible that they were behind him. In front of him was a computer console, a large blank screen taking up a lot of space. There also seemed to be an ancient filing cabinet, battered and rusted, with something relatively small on top. Looking down, XR saw that he was cuffed to a metal exam table currently tilted at a forty-five degree angle. More unsettling was the metal bolts someone took the time to drill through his arms. It didn't take a genius to realize he was in trouble.
About half a second later, a few more systems straightened out and XR realized something was wrong.
Oil Pressure Outside Of Safety Parameters. Oil Levels Dangerously Low.
Error. Unable To Access Attachment Function.
Error. Unable To Access Attachment Function.
Error. Unable To Access Attachment Function.
He knew he shouldn't be low on oil yet, especially not to the levels that would result in that warning. And he couldn't activate any of his attached gadgets. His weapons, his jetpack, his welder, nor anything else that should be connected to his systems. They were just… gone.
Something or someone reached inside and took them out. Not neatly and carefully removed since that would register differently to his systems. This was more visceral and primitive. They were torn out of him when he wasn't even awake enough to resist or complain.
He felt hollow, eviscerated, and violated. And just completely uncomfortable in every sense of the word. This was different than the LGMs or his teammates fumbling around to repair damage. This was someone pulling him apart when he couldn't even fight back, ripping out his pieces like some uncivilized savage. He'd rather be blown up again.
Then his recent memory files reasserted themselves and XR went into a complete panic.
"No, no, no, no, no," he muttered frantically, trying to pull himself off the table even at the risk of tearing his limbs off. If he needed to breathe, he would be hyperventilating by that point. "Not him. This can't be happening. He was destroyed. I saw him. He can't be back."
"And yet here I am, my Little One," said a smooth and terrifying voice.
Turning his head, XR spotted the figure that haunted his nightmares. The monster he feared most was just hovering to his left, obviously just waiting for the ideal moment to make his presence known. He grinned nervously as Nos-4-A2 replaced the charger unit in his hand on the table beside him. That certainly explained the jolt of power that woke him up.
As the energy vampire floated closer, XR's motor raced in fear. And then he flinched at the grinding, rough, unpleasant sensation in his chest that resulted. Right. Dangerously low oil levels.
"Now, now, Little One, don't burn out your motor quite yet," said Nos-4-A2, dragging his claws along XR's clear helmet. "We've just got started. You wouldn't want to cut our visit short."
"I don't know. A short visit might be better. I should probably get back to Star Command before they start wondering where I am," he rambled, trying to keep at least some of the panic out of his voice. "Maybe we could get together again in a few months instead. Or a few years. That would be better. That would be a much better time for us to catch up and visit."
His claws lazily trailed down the robot's clear helmet, onto the metal of his body, pausing briefly by the two holes he'd left before, and finally stopping on top of his service panel. XR couldn't help shuddering at the unwanted physical contact and the soft sound of metal scraping lightly against metal. The energy vampire's touch brought back memories of every other encounter with Nos-4-A2.
He hated it. He needed to get away. It made his circuits anxiously buzz with his restored energy. Every shred of coding in his microprocessor was screaming at him to escape somehow. His arms and legs pulled and twisted against everything that held him in place with no effect.
"Don't resist Nos-4-A2, my Little One," said the energy vampire. "We both know how this will end."
"With you being arrested and locked up in PC-7?" he suggested hopefully, grinning nervously at the robot of his nightmares.
Chuckling darkly, Nos-4-A2 said, "I doubt it. Do you recall what I said I would do to you when we were last alone? That lovely time on Tradeworld?"
He remembered. Nos-4-A2 carried him underground, away from Buzz and Savy, and trapping him with the lifeless robot bodies in his creepy lair. He remembered the dread and the desperate hope for rescue, clinging to the knowledge that Buzz always showed up just in time. And then Nos-4-A2 described in vivid detail his intended revenge. He remembered.
"Sorry, I can't remember," XR said.
"Don't worry, Little One. I'd be happy to remind you of my words. I said that I would drain your energy slowly so you'd feel every amp as it left your body and that once you were nearly offline, I would recharge you and do it all over again."
"Oh right… That sounds vaguely familiar," he whimpered.
Tapping his claws on XR's service panel, Nos-4-A2 licked his fangs with his forked tongue and leaned over him. XR cringed back as much as possible with how he was restrained. His head even clinked softly as it hit the back of his clear helmet. Once again his motor raced as he panicked and the uncomfortable grinding intensified. It took him a moment to realize that his treads were spinning uselessly, fear causing him to unconsciously try to flee.
"I've been considering my plans for revenge on you for quite some time," continued Nos-4-A2.
"You really should get a better hobby. Might I suggest knitting or flower arranging. Or yoga. I hear it is a great method of stress relief. You should give it a try."
He could hear the near hysteria in his voice as his words fell flat. Nos-4-A2 was prolonging the wait intentionally, letting his dread and terror build. XR knew he was doing it on purpose. Part of him hated the wait, anticipating the horror to come. The rest of him didn't mind putting off the attack as long as possible. Because there would be an attack. Help might come eventually, but not yet. Until someone realized he was missing, he was utterly alone with the monster.
No one would save him in time.
Ignoring the interruption, Nos-4-A2 said, "I eventually decided my original plan just wouldn't do."
"That's good, right?"
"Draining you twice just isn't enough," he continued, pushing back his cape. "No, my Little One, your pain will not end that quickly. And luckily for you, I've been practicing. Why do you think my lairs always have those powerless robots stashed around? I needed to keep them somewhere I wouldn't be interrupted. I once kept a robot from permanently going offline for about two days by being careful." Tilting his head thoughtfully, he said, "I wonder how long you'll last."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Nos-4-A2 struck. Fangs drilled slowly through metal, prompting a shout of shock and pain from XR. Did he have to bite a new spot each time? At least the first part of this nightmarish process only stung a little. What came next was bad enough on its own. XR could help moaning quietly at what was happening, desperately hoping he'd stop.
Then the slow drilling, intentionally slow, stopped as the fangs made a connection to his inner workings. XR tried to pull away, straining against everything holding him in place. All that resulted in was clawed hands curling around his shoulders to keep him steady.
There was a short pause, Nos-4-A2 restraining himself briefly as his red eyes stared hungrily at the smaller robot. It was unnecessarily creepy. It was like he was drinking in XR's fear as an appetizer before his main meal. Then the momentary pause was over.
Error. Severe Power Loss In Progress.
The pain was slower this time, but not weaker. XR's voice box was practically vibrating as he screamed, the sensation worse than just being hit by an explosion and torn to pieces. Everything hurt. With the slower speed, he could feel the electricity being redirected from his systems this time. It hurt as the power was ripped from every circuit, breaking through safety protocols and engineering limits. His systems tried to compensate for what was happening, shutting down different parts and trying to redirect the remaining electricity to the more vital areas.
Power Levels At 12 Percent.
His straining and struggling limbs stopped moving. Various systems shut down as power was slowly, so agonizingly slowly, torn out of his body. His weakening cries were cut off as his voice box lost electricity. His tactile sensors gradually went offline as more of his power dwindled, spiking briefly in pain before going numb one by one. His motor slowed, but not yet stopped, which reduced the grinding sensation at least. Exhaustion settled into every wire, servo, and circuit alongside the tearing pain and the paradoxical numbing cold.
Power Levels At 9 Percent.
His vision and hearing dimmed as Nos-4-A2 continued his slow draining. He couldn't fight what was happening; the electricity, the very life, was being pulled out of him piece by piece. His thoughts grew heavy and dull as his body. He couldn't think through the haze. Couldn't…
Power Levels At 5 Percent
So tired. So much pain. How long…?
The pull stopped. The fangs vanished. Why…?
He wanted to stop. Turn off and protect his files. Enough power left for proper shut down. Just need to rest…
Sharp, burning, intense power hit him hard and nearly overloaded his poor systems. XR struggled for a few nanoseconds to sort out the chaotic feedback and buzzing pain enough to focus.
Power Levels At 16 Percent
High voltage, but relatively few joules. Enough to kick him back into full awareness, but not enough power to keep awake for long. Even if he didn't need to breathe, XR found himself gasping and shivering.
"M-maybe you should adjust the settings on that charger unit," he managed to say after a moment.
Nos-4-A2 chuckled as he drew near once more. The fear of the energy vampire remained, but the ache through his body from the stress on his circuits combined with exhaustion kept XR from reaching a true state of panic.
He was left instead with overwhelming dread and desperate hope for anyone to show up. Buzz. Booster. Mira. Dad. He'd even settle for Zurg storming in to shoot at Nos-4-A2.
"I have the settings exactly how I want them. Enough to keep you conscious and aware, but not enough to let you recover properly. And it really stings. Not as much as being staked by a metal rod and exploding, but you should be familiar with that particular damage already," said Nos-4-A2, his voice smooth, even, and cruel.
It was official. The energy vampire was an expert at revenge. If there were villain awards for the category, XR intended to nominate Nos-4-A2 immediately. He deserved the prize.
"Feel free to scream as loudly as you want, Little One," he continued. "There is no one else to hear your agonized cries and I rather enjoy the sound. It brings me indescribable pleasure to observe your suffering." Looming over the restrained and shuddering robot, he said, "And we've wasted enough time, my delicious Little One. Let us continue, shall we?"
There was barely time to think before Nos-4-A2 lunged. The sound of drilling fangs filled the air as XR yelled. It was starting all over again. He was keeping his promised threat. Drain, recharge, and repeat.
"No, no, no, no," he said desperately. "Please don't—"
Then the fangs broke through and the real pain started again. As did the screaming.
Again and again, Nos-4-A2 recharged the Little One and drove his fangs through metal to drain the restored electricity. It was an entertaining cycle. He never let him regain more than twenty percent of his power and he never let it drop to three percent.
He fought his programmed instincts to hurry, to rip every joule out of his prey. It was a struggle. Each time, he came closer and closer to sending the robot offline. Closer, but not quite. He never let XR's power drop low enough to lose awareness.
Five times he drained the Little One in his lair, stretching it out for minutes rather than seconds.
It wasn't easy to restrain himself. The screams, the whimpers, the way he shuddered and flinched beneath his fangs, and the desperate words combined to excite and entice him. The helpless prey sounds and movements appealed to his predator nature, urging him to drain more energy and faster. Nos-4-A2's programming, his hunger for power, cried out more, faster, more, faster, MORE.
The Little One was intoxicating. XR was practically organic with how powerful and varied his reactions were; his emotions and especially his fear were far beyond what other robots were programmed with. The intensity of his terror and agony produced equally intense reactions from predator, feeding into his appetite for suffering. The Little One's pain was his pleasure. Only the energy vampire's strong will kept him from rushing, from pushing his prey too far before he could savor the experience.
Prying himself away from the barely conscious XR once again, Nos-4-A2 studied the Little One still trapped on the inclined table. Twelve tiny holes dotted his metal chassis, a pair for each bite. His motor churned slowly and roughly, pausing and sputtering with the low wattage being used. The sound was barely audible, though Nos-4-A2 did grin as the Little One's motor sped up slightly when he placed his clawed hand on the service panel.
His hunger never truly vanished completely, but it had faded from his prolonged meal on the Little One. For the moment, he was satisfied. He'd tormented XR for almost half an hour straight. His reactions were weakening as the Little One's strength waned, reducing the pleasure of Nos-4-A2's actions slightly. Perhaps it was time to take a short break.
After a short wait for a charge to build, Nos-4-A2 placed the pads of the charger unit on the Little One's body and sent the high voltage jolt through him once again. Rather than the loud and surprised help he produced the first few times, XR just jerked and moaned as he was re-energized. Then there were the few seconds necessary to orient himself, eyes trying to focus and his head floating a little again.
"Poor Little One," crooned the energy vampire. "You're holding up better than expected. Perhaps you deserve a rest."
He didn't immediately respond, exhaustion and pain managing to finally quiet the talkative robot. Nos-4-A2 hoped he hadn't broken the Little One's spirit quite yet. He'd had such high hopes that XR would last longer.
Then the Little One tilted his head up to look at Nos-4-A2 and said quietly, "A nap might be nice. You going to put a mint on my pillow?"
That was better. The Little One wasn't completely broken yet. There was still time to continue his revenge before the damage went too far.
"You shall rest, Little One. I'll even set an alarm to serve as your wakeup call."
Proximity would help for what he wanted. Not just his head this time, but all of him would have to be near the Little One. His sensors were sensitive, but he'd have to be very close for the precision he desired. Setting aside the charge unit, Nos-4-A2 pulled himself next to XR on the slanted table. One arm curled around the clear helmet tightly while his other was left free, pushing aside his cape so it wouldn't be interfere.
"How about we talk about personal space?" mumbled XR tiredly. "Unless you're Miss Tradeworld, you're not allowed this close to me."
Nos-4-A2 felt the urge to roll his eyes. Only a fool would compare the situation to some sort of romantic encounter, regardless of any superficial similarities in appearances if viewed from a distance. He held no passion within his circuits and his only desires was for energy, pain, and fear, not companionship. And the closest thing to a kiss that he might perform was a far more painful and potentially fatal act.
He traced a claw along the various punctures. Eventually he might have to start reusing old bite marks. Or he might have to become more creative. Regardless, he would have to figure out a solution if XR survived long enough for that to become an issue.
As the Little One shivered from the close proximity, Nos-4-A2 said, "I shall plunge you into the deepest of slumbers, the likes of which many never escape. Do not resist your Dark Master's will. Simply accept that the worst is yet to come, Little One."
Arms tightening around the captive robot, Nos-4-A2 bit deeply with both upper and lower fangs this time.
Energy Drain In Progress.
The faded hunger made it a little easier to pace himself; the urge to drain quickly was less intense. But he listened to the choked gasps of pain from his prey. He focused his sense on the amps as they were drawn out, feeling every last joule of power. So close to the Little One, he could detect every circuit as the electricity was torn away. He could even detect the individual signals of distress, of pain, racing through the robot. It sent a shiver of thrill through the energy vampire. Yes, this was what he wanted.
It was wonderful. Each tiny sound of suffering, each weakening movement, and each faint signal of pain he could detect from the Little One seemed to produce a wave of euphoria in Nos-4-A2. It wasn't even about the energy he was draining. It was the power he held over his prey. He was the one who controlled the Little One, holding complete power over what he felt, what he experienced, and what was happening to him. He didn't need to compel him. All Nos-4-A2 needed was this power over the Little One, the power of life and death.
He could feel XR fading fast, but not too fast. The Little One only started with a small amount of power, but he was still managing to take his time. He could sense each step in the process, each agonizing and terrifying moment. He could sense each system as it went offline. He could sense it all and the sensation left the energy vampire nearly overwhelmed pleasure. Zurg created him to be cruel and ruthless in the pursuit of his goals and he was certainly achieving what he desired. He was pushing the Little One's suffering to the limits. And as Nos-4-A2 went past the point he'd previously stopped, he could feel the Little One dying.
He continued to pull the dwindling energy forcibly from his prey, tapping into emergency reserves and ripping it out of him. Nos-4-A2 felt XR's motor stuttering and shuddering behind his service panel, struggling to continue until the power levels dropped too low. Another wave of excitement and ecstatic swept through the energy vampire as the final joules of electricity were drained out of his prey. Even with his specialized and sensitive sensors, Nos-4-A2 couldn't detect a single amp flowing through the circuits. That observation left him with a sudden and intense surge of exhilaration and fulfillment. For the moment, the Little One was a dark, silent, and empty shell.
Pulling himself away from the powerless robot and straightening his cape, Nos-4-A2 floated over to the computer and activated the timer. He'd already preset it for an hour, the approximate amount of time the schematics suggested the Little One's systems could last with no power without risking the memory files. He'd have to recharge XR by that point. It would give Nos-4-A2 time to rest a little and enjoy the result of his feast.
But first he needed to finish one little detail. Picking up the camera from where he'd positioned it earlier to have a perfect view of the room, Nos-4-A2 grinned into the lens.
"And that brings this particular lesson to a close," he said smugly. "I hope you found this entire experience educational. I certainly thought it was a lovely way to spend some free time. Perhaps with some luck, the Little One will even survive until you receive this recording." Chuckling darkly, he said, "Perhaps. But not necessarily."
With that final message, Nos-4-A2 turned off the camera. Sending a package across vast distances was simple enough. Even known criminals could hire a delivery service with few issues. But he would actually be sending it to a couple of locations first before it reached its final destination, both making it harder to backtrack and delaying the ultimate delivery.
Hopefully Star Command wouldn't mind the wait.
And that was creepy for me to even write. The next chapter should have a few of the other characters trying to find XR and figure out what happened to make him disappear like that. They will be getting a pretty big clue, however.
