It is time for another update. Which means seeing what has become of poor XR during his time in captivity. Because it really hasn't been a fun experience for him at all. But don't worry. Nos-4-A2 will eventually pay for his actions. But until then, there's a bit more pain and suffering.

He had to keep calm. It hurt and he was tired, his power levels always kept fairly low. But he needed to stay calm. Getting worked up, letting his continued fear of the situation take effect, would only make things worse. XR already knew what would happen. Getting upset would make his motor race and that would make everything hurt more. It was already working too hard, grinding roughly and sputtering, and growing far too hot. He needed oil. He needed it and it hurt worse the longer he went without oil. But until then, XR tried to minimize the damage it was causing by keeping calm.

XR wasn't certain how much time had passed since Nos-4-A2 first brought him to the dimly-lit room. It was hard to judge with everything the energy vampire was doing. There was no pattern or schedule to XR's suffering. Sometimes he was left online, alone, and awake for hours like he was now, his motor struggling to work. Sometimes Nos-4-A2 only drained him once, letting him slip into unconsciousness for a while. Other times, XR would be recharged and drained over and over a random number of times. Sometimes Nos-4-A2 spoke and taunted while other times he was silent. The lack of pattern made it impossible to judge the passage of time. The only constant was how the energy vampire sought to prolong each feeding and the pain that engulfed him.

For the moment, though, he was alone and XR tried to take comfort in that. Nos-4-A2 was out hunting somewhere, bringing pain to the rest of the robot population of whatever planet he chose to hide his lair on. That meant he wasn't torturing his prisoner for the moment. It was better than nothing.

His friends would come. XR knew at least enough time had passed that they would be looking for him. Star Command wouldn't know where he was trapped (not that XR knew either), but they would be looking by now. Nos-4-A2 was great at hiding, but Buzz, Booster, and Mira would track him down. They wouldn't give up. They would keep searching for their missing teammate. XR knew they would come. Saving people and stopping evil was what Space Rangers did. All he needed to do was survive long enough for them to charge in to the rescue.

His motor shuddered roughly, chugging and choking painfully as something grinded against something else. XR cringed from the sensation. He was running far too hot. He knew something was already warped in his motor by the treatment, heated metal rubbing against other parts. He hoped desperately to avoid making it worse, but there wasn't much he could do to stop it while still pinned to the table.

XR let his head drop back against his clear helmet. He was tired and there was a constant ache deep inside. There was far too much stress on every system. Time was running out. He knew his team was coming for him, XR clinging to that fact desperately. But they needed to hurry before either his motor completely burned out or Nos-4-A2 grew bored toying with him. By now XR missed being blown up on routine missions. Explosions stung, but Nos-4-A2 was far worse.

An animalistic shriek pierced the air, startling XR and making his motor race a little more. The red glow the approaching energy vampire's wings and an inescapable fear announced the monster had returned. He knew what would happen. XR knew what Nos-4-A2 would do now that he was back from his hunt. Even if he wasn't hungry, he wouldn't leave XR alone. Nos-4-A2 would take another bite and rip his meager energy out of his body.

There wasn't much XR could do about it. He couldn't fight back or escape anymore than he could the first day he woke up in this terrible place. He was still tired, still trapped, and still kept on low levels of power. And the stress this was causing to his systems had already burned out several circuits and damaged others, meaning he was even less capable of fighting against the energy vampire's plans than before.

But even if he knew he was completely helpless, XR refused to admit it. He couldn't completely give up. His team would come. His friends would come for him. Until then, he couldn't let Nos-4-A2 think he was winning. The energy vampire wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing how this was wearing away his hope.

As Nos-4-A2 moved into view, XR said in the most flippant voice he could manage in his current state, "Next time you go out, could you lend me a magazine or something? I can't seem to find my copy. I guess you left it with the rest of my stuff."

"You really are a strange robot, Little One," said Nos-4-A2, tilting his head as he floated by him. "But you are certainly stronger than you appear. Even taking care to not kill you quickly, I would not have expected you to last this long. And you even managed to hang onto that pitiful thing you call a sense of humor."

"Impressed or disappointed?" he asked, still trying to sound relatively normal even as fear and exhaustion fought for dominance of his voice.

"Intrigued," admitted Nos-4-A2 before frowning briefly as he peeled a piece of paper off his cape. He muttered darkly, "Dumpsters are such a nuisance."

As he tossed the scrap of paper aside, XR caught a glimpse of the writing. It was a flyer for a local pizza restaurant. And supposedly the food was pretty good, but the more important part was that there was only one location. The restaurant was only on Tradeworld and that meant the fliers were only handed out on Tradeworld. If one got stuck to Nos-4-A2, that suggested they were still on Tradeworld. He hadn't carried the Ranger to a different planet after all. XR really couldn't do anything with the information yet, but at least he had it. Maybe an opportunity would come up.

"You don't know this yet, but I sent Star Command a lovely little gift. They should have received it by now," continued Nos-4-A2. "And I have been working on another surprise for them. If you manage to stay online until I finish the final details, they'll get another message. And once I am certain that no one can trace the signal back, I might even let you say something to your little friends. Wouldn't that be lovely, my Little One?"

"You certainly know how to make a generous offer," XR said dryly, unable to summon up the energy anymore to inject a proper amount of sarcasm or desperate flattery like he might normally try. "All your past victims must have really appreciated these personal touches you include to their torture."

The energy vampire dragged his claws across XR's clear helmet, the scraping sound making the smaller robot cringe. He really hated Nos-4-A2 getting all touchy-feely. Not only was it creepy, but it was also generally a sign he was about to bury his fangs into XR again. He really didn't look forward to it, but he was growing resigned to the pain that he couldn't stop or escape. At least if he knocked him out with a power drain, his motor would get a chance to stop and cool down.

"Just get it over with," XR said quietly, slumping as much as his restraints would allow.

Chuckling darkly, Nos-4-A2 traced the numerous holes across XR's body left behind by the drilling fangs. At least two for every attack. He looked like certain types of cheese they put on burgers. If he ever forgot how many times the energy vampire decided to snack on him, it would be easy enough to tally.

Taking a moment to tap his claw on the service panel, Nos-4-A2 said, "Have you grown bored under my care? I suppose since you have been my captive longer than anyone else has managed, it is possible. That won't do at all. I shall have to correct that, Little One."

"No, no, no need to go to any trouble," said XR quickly, realizing with a panic that his captor was taking it as a challenge. "I'm not bored. Not bored in the slightest. You shouldn't worry about it. Just-ahh!"

He flinched at the especially sharp pain deep inside, the grinding sensation intensifying so much his whole body rattled a little. He needed to stop panicking. Calm down, calm down and slow his motor back down before it got worse. Unfortunately the increase in pain and fear of what was happening made it hard. Nos-4-A2 watching with a mildly amused expression wasn't helping. XR literally shut off all his visual and audio input so he could focus.

The shaking and grinding sensation of his struggling motor deeply concerned him. It certainly hurt, but the roughness of the mechanics was a bigger problem. It was sputtering too much. Whatever damage was already in place couldn't handle the higher speed of his panic and worry. He needed to calm down now.

Then, when he idiotically wondered if it could possibly get any worse, his motor stuttered to a stop. A second later it managed to stagger back into grinding and unsteady motion, but XR felt his systems try to shut down again during that instant. Then it happened again, stopping for almost two seconds before it recovered back into rough and ragged operation.

He knew the moment his motor completely burned out, he was done. No amount of recharging would kick him back on without repairs, but Nos-4-A2 would simply take it as a sign that his victim was no longer fun to toy with. If his struggling motor completely failed, the energy vampire would just let him die.

But that wouldn't happen. His team would come. His friends would come. Heroic Buzz. Loyal Booster. Determined Mira. They would come for him. They'd save him in time. That was what they did. His friends would come. XR kept thinking about his team and the simple fact that they always saved the day, the small hope that he still clung to finally allowing him to calm down enough that his motor slowed back to a more constant shuddering. Even if he didn't need to breath, habit caused him to sigh in relief.

Though part of him truly wanted to remain oblivious to his surroundings for a little longer, XR reluctantly reactivated his systems enough so he could see and hear again. Remaining ignorant wouldn't help him. There wasn't much he could do, but he could at least avoid being caught unaware. And as he suspected, his first sight was a very entertained energy vampire looming over him.

"Personal space," he muttered tiredly.

"Looks like someone was having a little trouble there. Have you settled down now, Little One, or shall you be expiring momentarily?" asked Nos-4-A2 in mock concern.

"I'm fine," XR said quietly. "And absolutely not bored. No need to get creative."

"Nonsense. We've been enjoying each other's company for several days, draining your power painfully slow and listening to your screams. It is time to mix it up a tad. I wouldn't want the experience to grow stale." Nos-4-A2 tapped his chin thoughtfully and said, "Now what should I do? What should I do to make things more interesting?"

The moment he gained a look of inspiration in his creepy red eyes was the moment that XR knew he was about to have a very unpleasant experience. He was surprised, however, when Nos-4-A2 moved towards where he kept the charger unit. He never bothered with that until after he started painfully draining power, not before. And even stranger, he started adjusting the setting for the first time to something different.

"Perhaps if I attempt to set a record of some type? To see exactly how long I can stretch out the draining of your power if I truly put a bit of effort into it," suggested the energy vampire. "Of course, for the best possible results of such an attempt, it would require you to have more delicious energy for me to consume."

With that cheerful comment, XR found himself once again being jolted violently with far more voltage than his battered systems could easily handle. The sharp, burning, intense pain hit hard. He knew he must have screamed, but the chaotic feedback and buzzing sensation through all his overloaded circuits kept him too disoriented to tell. A few of the already-damaged circuits even burned out from the abrupt surge. It seemed to last a few nanoseconds longer than Nos-4-A2's usual aggressive recharges, but there was no reliable way to know. And though he still didn't need to breath, it always left him gasping and shivering immediately afterwards. But he also felt strangely clear-headed and alert once the initial disorientation passed.

Power Levels At 100 Percent.

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have a proper amount of amps flowing through him. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to not be running off the minimal amount of joules in his body. He still ached. His motor was still too hot and far from smooth. And mentally he felt exhausted by his experience. But he still felt relatively energized. He felt better than before. And that briefly made him feel more hopeful, his microprocessor already racing to use all the information at his disposal to come up with something resembling an idea.

But then he remembered that this brief moment of relative comfort was not meant as a kindness. Instead, it was a setup for something worse. Because Nos-4-A2 could always find a way to make things worse. He couldn't even imagine how long it would take for the energy vampire to completely drain him of power when he chose to take his time. But XR knew without a shadow of a doubt that the pain would make it seem even longer.

"There we are," said Nos-4-A2, smiling in a way that still made the smaller robot shiver. "Nice and charged, Little One. That should provide an especially long meal. And yet, I still don't think that will suffice. Surely we can devise something more creative than just an extended energy draining."

Once again Nos-4-A2 dragged his sharp claws across the various holes he'd drilled through the metal of XR's body. He looked far too contemplative and interested in his past work for XR's comfort. He really didn't like Nos-4-A2 getting creative with his methods.

"How about we try being a bit more direct this time, shall we?" suggested the energy vampire just as he reached for the service panel.

XR barely had a chance to wonder what the psycho was thinking before Nos-4-A2 opened him up and he realized his plan. And while he'd mostly stopped struggling against his restraints since it was clear he couldn't get loose, XR couldn't help fighting against the cuffs and bolts this time as Nos-4-A2 began to poke his claws around his internal workings. He really didn't like his biggest source of nightmares rooting around his insides, reaching past his (empty) storage space and moving around important wires and such.

"Personal space," XR yelped, trying to wiggle uselessly out of range while keeping relatively calm. "Violation of personal space. We talked about this. Hand out of there now."

"Quiet down, Little One," said Nos-4-A2, still moving his right hand through his inner workings quite casually. "I can feel your motor rattling under my claws. Try not to burn yourself out. You've been doing quite well so far surviving my focus and attention. I wouldn't want you to end my fun just yet."

XR struggled to keep from whimpering as Nos-4A-2 tightened his grip on a few thicker cables and pulled them. He didn't snap them. He just moved them somewhat closer to the opening, making them easier to access. XR knew exactly what the energy vampire had in mind now.

"I really hope you'll reconsider," XR said nervously. "It is such an inconvenience."

"Oh, don't be like that," said Nos-4-A2. "If you remain as stubborn as you have been in the past and I'm careful with my appetite, you'll survive long enough to say farewell to Star Command on a lovely video conference I'm arranging. So you have no reason to complain."

"I have plenty of reason to complain," he argued. "Want a list?"

But even as he snapped towards the energy vampire like he had a death wish, XR finally had a sliver of an idea. He knew there was something he could do. Not yet, but soon. If he could last long enough, he would actually be able to do something to interfere with Nos-4-A2's precious little revenge scheme. It would hurt and he really didn't know how much it would actually help him in the end, but XR didn't care in that moment. He was done being helpless and unable to fight back. It would be worth it to get back at the smug energy vampire.

He had a sliver of a plan and that was more than he had before. So XR managed a weak smile as Nos-4-A2 focused on the exposed cables and wires his claws were still clenching. It wasn't much of a smile and the energy vampire certainly didn't notice, but that didn't matter. His weakening and fraying hope was rekindled slightly.

Then that moment of feeling relatively confident was extinguished as Nos-4-A2 buried his head into the open service panel and bit into one of XR's main power lines. A new sharp and powerful agony struck hard.

Error. Severe Power Loss In Progress.

Apparently drilling fangs into a cable that carries a lot of joules rather than making a more minor connection hurt a lot more. What a lovely surprise. And thanks to finally having full power, he had the energy to scream and struggle a lot more than he'd managed recently. Which was a shame since he'd just stopped screaming every time Nos-4-A2 drained him.

The pain of electricity being slowly ripped from his body set in, tearing and pulling energy out of every circuit in his body. It was worse than ever before. It was so slow, agonizingly slow. No matter how many times Nos-4-A2 did it, having the life torn from his body gradually was traumatic and agonizing.

He couldn't stop it. The pain was inescapable. It was unbearable.

Power Levels At 98 Percent.

And it would last for an eternity.

The pain was everywhere. He couldn't even tell if it was from his struggling motor, the fangs buried in one of his main power lines, or the sheer agony of the energy draining. There was nothing but pain. Every system, every servo, every circuit, and every scrap of metal were practically screaming in anguish.

Power Levels At 95 Percent.

He hated it. He just wanted it to stop. He didn't care how. Arrest Nos-4-A2. Destroy the energy vampire. Or even just knock XR offline for a while. Or destroy him permanently. Anything to escape the endless cycles of pain. He just wanted it to stop.

But it never would. It would keep going forever and ever. Nos-4-A2 would keep recharging him and then ripping the power out of his body. It would never end.

Power Levels At 93 Percent.

It would never stop because that would be a mercy. Permanent destruction would be a mercy. And Nos-4-A2 had no mercy. He was a monster. A nightmarish monster who delighted in the pain and agonized screams that filled his hidden lair. He existed to rip and tear away at electricity, the very life of his captive robot. He lived for the suffering that XR couldn't escape.

Power Levels At 91 Percent.

He was drowning in a sea of overwhelming agony. He could barely think beyond the slow and steady pull of pain. Thought and memory were almost lost to him.

But XR tried to rise above the awful sensation that consumed his body. He tried to find his tiny speck of hope.

Power Levels At 89 Percent.

Buzz. Booster. Mira.

They would come. His friends would come.

Buzz. Booster. Mira. XL.

He needed to hang on a little longer. He could do it.

Power Levels At 86 Percent.

Buzz. Booster. Mira. His team.

XL. His older brother.

Commander Nebula. Pops. Dad. His father.

They would come. His family would come for him.

They would find him. They would save him. They had to.

Please.


Lana Celeste prided herself in taking care of her co-workers. When Kyle had a mild case of the Gouldian Flu, she brought him some delicious soup and a fuzzy blanket when he insisted on working anyway. When Jessie broke up with her boyfriend, she lent a sympathetic ear, reminded the younger woman that there were plenty of other available guys out there who would love to meet someone as nice as the red-head, and helped shred all traces of the cheating loser's belongings. And she might have found his address and paid him a little visit to put the fear of Celeste into him. Then there was the time that Star Command was invaded by some type of furry creatures that kept multiply and she provided cover fire during evacuations.

Yes, Lana took care of her co-workers. She liked to think of their small collection of paper-pushers as family. And she took care of the five people she worked with. She did not like it when they were upset and she watched out for them with all four eyes.

So when XL became upset over his missing brother, she'd started watching him more carefully. She knew her sweet little copier/fax machine assistant needed special attention. Being a Space Ranger was a dangerous job and there were always risks. That didn't make it any easier when one vanished.

But she was hopeful that there might be some good news. XL had been called upstairs for some type of meeting. Lana hoped it was news that they'd found XR and that XL had nothing more to worry about. The moment he stepped off the elevator, however, she knew that she was wrong.

"Sweetie, what happened?" she asked the visibly distraught and slightly afraid little robot.

"He got my baby brother!" said XL, sounding heart-broken. "He's got him and he's doing horrible things to him. He sent a recording and it was days ago. I don't know what we're going to do. Dad is mad. Buzz and the others are upset. And even that Wirewolf person seemed to know it's really bad."

Lana didn't have to even think before she wrapped her arms around the poor robot. She knew that XL used to be a dangerous criminal, but that was in the past. Now he was her little adorable assistant who was always so polite and helpful to her. And he was upset. He was upset and she needed to make things better. A hug might not be much, but it was a start.

"Who has him, XL, sweetie? Who has XR?" she asked gently, still hugging the little guy.

"Nos-4-A2," he whimpered. "He's back and he's got XR. He hates XR. And he sees robots as a snack. And we don't know where he is or how we're going to get XR back. And I can't do anything about it."

She remembered the stories about Nos-4-A2. XL mentioned him a few times, usually before shuddering at the memory of the energy vampire. But most of what she knew was from the mission files. After all, she tended to copy, organize, and file most of them. She managed to read most of the files and knew that Nos-4-A2 was a dangerous figure that was especially hazardous for other robots. Out of all the possible people who could kidnap XL's sibling, the energy vampire was the worst.

"What am I going to do, Lana? I can't leave my baby brother to him. I mean, I used to want to smash XR to bits and everything, but not anymore. I don't want him to get attacked by Nos-4-A2. I mean, anymore than he's already hurt him. But I can't stop him," XL continued frantically, still clinging to her desperately in a hug. "I can't do anything. I'm too small and don't have any weapons in this body. And I supposed to do clerical work, but how can I make copies and fax letters when Nos-4-A2 is out there somewhere with XR?" He let go of the hug finally so he could look up at Celeste directly and said, "I'm a horrible big brother. Aren't older siblings supposed to take care of the younger ones? That's how it works, right? And that's what I'm supposed to do now that I'm a good guy again. But I can't protect him and I can't help him. I'm just useless."

"Don't talk like that," said Lana, ideas already spinning around her head. "You're not useless. You're my sweet and helpful XL. And I'm going to help you."

She quickly led the small robot back to her station and pulled up her computer. She didn't have a completed plan in mind yet, but she had the first part of one. And it wouldn't be too hard for her to set things in motion for it.

"What are we doing?" XL asked cautiously.

"Well, while I adore your current body, you're right when you said that it wouldn't really work for anything resembling a rescue mission. So I'm tracking down where they stored your old one," said Lana cheerfully.

"Uh, isn't that information highly classified and restricted? So that I'm not tempted to start looking for it?" he said uneasily.

Lana shrugged as she looked through the computer files and said, "I told you. I did a lot of hacking when I was younger. And I'm very good at it. I can find anything that Star Command might have on file quite easily. Just don't tell Commander Nebula. He worries too much anyway."

"And, uh, I'm not supposed to have any weapons since I'm on probation. Remember?"

"No weapons unless your superior gives you temporary permission. They always include that sort of thing in case Star Command gets taken over or there's an attack or something. And technically I'm your superior. And if it helps rescue your little brother, I definitely give you permission, sweetie."

While most of her focus was on the computer screen, Lana caught sight of how his face just lit up at her words. He actually looked like he had hope again. Good. She didn't want her little assistant to be upset. She would help take care of this problem and make sure that everything worked out.

After all, she might perform clerical work, but she was still technically a Space Ranger. And that meant she helped people in need.

So XR has a possible idea of something he could try to do and Lana and XL are scheming a possible way to help. This could prove to be interesting in the future.

Remember, reviews are always appreciated. I love hearing feedback. Thanks.