Chapter 4: Too Familiar
Brad paced back and forth in his living room, breathing heavily. Everything that happened that last few days weighed on his mind. Finding a dead body, having your girlfriend-well ex girlfriend- dump you, teaming up with Silver Shell. Last of all, just getting the confirmation that your best friend was the murder and then hearing one of her little sisters give a blood curdling scream in response on what had to happen next was a lot for a teenage boy to handle.
Tuck raised an eyebrow curiously interrupting his thoughts, as he shoved a bite of meat into his mouth,
"Are you gonna eat dinner, you haven't touched your food."
Brad looked over and shook his head,
"I'm not hungry."
"But it's from MonkeyBurger! And we barely get to eat at this place because dad is such a health nut!" Tuck groaned.
It was true, their father was a member of SkyWake Patrol and was very strict, especially when it comes to raising his sons. He was like this due to being part of the Skywake patrol as well as being a single father. Most of the time, however, Brad is the one watching himself and Tuck,
"I'll be fine…I'll just eat something later."
The answer did not satisfy Tuck, he frowned as he saw his brother looked forlorn, shoulders hunched, and his eyes were red. It didn't take a genius to know that something was wrong. He got up from his seat at the dining table and walked right by his brother showing concern,
"Is everything ok?"
Brad grunted with a scowl,
"I'm fine."
Tuck rolled his eyes, something was not fine and clearly was upset with whatever was eating at his brother
"I'm almost a teenager, you don't have to pretend, you can tell me."
Brad looked down at his younger brother. He had grown a couple inches over the past few years, getting closer to Brad's height. He was starting to enter the awkward phase of his life, even his voice had started to change and gotten more into girls. It's true he wasn't a little boy anymore, but to Brad, he was still his baby brother.
"Brad?" His voice cracked as he looked up quizzingly.
Brad sighed, he just couldn't tell him, how could he? He wouldn't be able to handle why Jenny wouldn't be coming around anymore and what happened to her. He just couldn't tell him. Brad ruffled Tuck's hair and forced a small smile,
"Tuck…don't worry about it…everything will be ok." Tears slipped down his cheeks, "Trust me, everything is fine…just enjoy being a kid." He gulped swallowing his sobs wanting to burst out of his throat,
"Finish your dinner…I'm going to get some fresh air."
Tuck stared at his brother bewildered at his depressed state,
"Brad, what is going on?"
Brad shrugged as he grabbed his coat off the coat rack and slid it on, not really paying attention to Tuck's question, replying in a slight irritated tone,
"I'll be back in a bit, ok?" He closed the door as Tuck protested him to come back. He strolled down the front steps and out to the side walk. He stared at the ground, his foot met a small pebble, kicking it aways.It was not long before he stopped, as he reached the house of his best friend. He turned straight forward facing the house, observing the structure. The setting sun hitting the walls gave it a red tint color and the windows refracted its light.
His eyes stopped when he saw the window to Jenny's room. Memories of the moment when they first met flooded his mind, he collapsed on his knees. The wind softly blew on his face, he sighed, trying not to cry again. She was his best friend, why did it have to be this way? Just why?
He gazed at the window. Nothing was there to interrupt his thoughts, just the casual bird chirping as they began their flight south for the winter and a car passing by every now and then. Leaving him just with his thoughts. His mind recalled his memories with her, each one better than the last…why did it have to be this way?
He was able to hold back his tears, until he saw her silhouette pass by the window and he finally lost it.
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Something was off and Jenny knew it. When she woke up, her mom greeted her with her favorite meal for breakfast: Triple A batteries dressed in propane. It was followed by a big embrace and mentioning how much she loved her daughter and how she always will.
Her sisters followed her around as she got ready for the day, Jenny had to ask for privacy and personal space multiple times. As well as keep asking if she needed anything. What was going on?
On top of it all, they all seemed like they had been…crying? They all were in the kitchen as Jenny ate her meal. She mindlessly ate her breakfast, until she looked up and realized everyone was staring at her in concern and a look of grief and became uncomfortable. She swallowed a bite, as she stared back at them. What is with this family? She questioned herself, slightly annoyed.
She thought for a second and realized what they might be thinking about, she softly spoke,
"If this is about the other day about the diary incident…It'll be ok and I wasn't popular to begin with, so…I'm used to it by now, I'm just shocked that XJ6 was involved." She sighed, narrowing her optics still upset at her. She glanced at XJ6 who just stared at her,
"Just drop it, ok?" She proceeded to eat, but they stayed silent. Jenny gulped and chuckled nervously. She tried to joke it off,
"Crikey, did someone die or something?" Which caused the others to flinch in horror and XJ6 to glare at her for some odd reason, which made her feel awkward
"Uhm…ok, you know what I'm going to the mall to clear my head…" she mutters to herself, "And to get away from whatever is going on here."
She wiped her mouth with a napkin, and started to head for the door, until something bumped her heels. She looked down to see XJ1 had followed her and was right next to her leg and was teary eyed.
Jenny couldn't help but softly smile and picked her up, resulting in a happier XJ1,
"I'll be back in a bit ok?" She tried to sit her sister back down in her high chair, till her sister started to get fussy again.
"I promise!" Jenny started to walk away, only for XJ1 to hop out again and cling onto Jenny's leg, she sighed.
"Mom could you…" Her optics met her mother's eyes, that somehow were misty, making Jenny very confused.
"Why don't you take her sweetheart, she wants you."
Jenny groaned and looked down to see her little sister still latching onto her leg. She just wanted to be alone, but she just couldn't say no to her, reluctantly she shrugged,
"Alright, sis let's go." Resulting in XJ1 giving happy chirps and beeps.
Jenny left the house carrying a babbling XJ1 to the mall. This has got to be the weirdest day of her life, but hopefully that was it as now she takes a trip to the mall with just her sister-
"Hey Jen!" Cried a familiar voice. She looked over and saw Brad and Sheldon approaching her.
"Hey guys! I'm just taking my sister out to the mall." She waved smiling. "Where's Tuck?"
"Oh…he's uh, at a friend's house." Brad forced a smile, hoping it sounded convincing. Tuck is actually at home and he just didn't tell him where he was going because he didn't want to burden Tuck. He felt a little guilty and selfish, but he also just generally didn't want his brother there to hog most of the attention from what's left of his time he had with his best friend.
"We're actually on our way to the mall too!" Chimed Sheldon changing the subject. He smiled,
"Mind if we join you?"
She shrugged,
"Sure!"
The three walked in silence for a minute, the only sound being XJ1 babbling and cooing. Brad patted her plastic head and softly smiled,
"So…babysitting duty?"
Jenny rolled her optics recalling her family's weird behavior that morning,
"Yea, mom and my other sisters were home, but XJ1 is clinging onto me for some reason and mom insisted I take her with me…actually all of my sisters were weirdly following me around this morning. Even my mom was acting extra nice to me, it's so weird." She stared off for a second in puzzlement and concern about their odd behavior.
Unbeknownst to her, Sheldon and Brad both glanced at each other uncomfortably knowing why they were acting that way. Both wanted to tell her, but knew it would be best not to, recalling Wakeman's words to make her last day her best day. Besides, no one would like to hear they're currently living their last day on earth!
"She's probably just thinking about when you leave for college, you won't be around as much." Sheldon lied trying to hold back tears and Brad silently nodded in agreement.
"I guess, but I'll visit, it's not like I'm leaving forever!" She shrugged nonchalantly, earning a wince from both of them which she noticed.
"Uh…are you guys ok?" She raised her optic in concern.
Brad gulped nodding it off,
"We're fine, yup…totally fine!" He shot out quickly with a question,
"So…Jen, what do you want to do today?" He said with a fake smile.
"Well, After the mall I might go to Mezmers…I don't know, I don't really have anything planned, usually my schedule is free incase I have an emergency I have to take care of." She shrugged, "Oh! I just remembered, we have a test next week…still got to study for that." She mumbled rolling her optics.
"I wouldn't worry about the test Jen…" because you aren't going to be around for it Brad painfully thought to himself, his eyes starting to water.
"Are…Brad, are you crying?" Asked Jenny in shock at her friend's state. Brad shook his head and quickly wiped his eyes,
"No, just allergies." He lamely responded. He took a breath to calm his nerves, he looked towards his feet avoiding eye contact,
"Jenny, what would you do, if you knew you only had a few hours left to live?"
Jenny stopped in her tracks and stared at him, thrown off by his demeanor, while Sheldon shook his head signaling him to stop,
"Uhh…That's an interesting question, I mean I'd probably just spend it with the people I love and care about, but that wouldn't ever happen, I'm a robot, I can't die…naturally anyways."
Brad sniffed and nodded,
"True, you're a robot…and my best friend, you're very smart, remember that."
Jenny tilted her head staring incredulously, something was off about him,
"What?"
Brad began to whimper and waved his hand, he turned looking at another direction,
"Nothing, nevermind."
Jenny watched as he looked down, slowly nodding,
"O…kay? What was that about?" She turned to Sheldon who also appeared to have been crying. Jobs, what is with everyone today?! Everyone has been overly emotional around her, it didn't make sense.
"Sheldon, what is going on?"
He struggled to make eye contact with her, he bit his lip.
"It's nothing to worry about." He commented softly, he then pulled a smile,
"How about I buy you something nice." He raised an arm for Jenny to grab and smiled.
She gently wrapped an arm around his, as they proceeded to walk towards the mall, she observed him, Sheldon would usually be talking her ear off by now on something nerdy, like Trek Wars or some sci fi convention he went to. Instead, he silently stared off into space, his eyes drooped and his body looked like it was reluctantly dragging his feet against the pavement. Usually for Jenny, this would be pleasant to not hear Sheldon ramble on about something so boring to her. For some reason, right now, the silence only made her more uncomfortable.
"Sheldon?" She softly spoke, breaking the silence and his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"You're being awfully quiet today…"
"Hmm…" He nodded.
"Would you be willing to tell me what's going on? Even you and Brad are acting differently!" She asked, exasperated with everything.
He sighed, trying to shake it off,
"Nothing is wrong Jenny." He quietly replied.
She furrowed her optics,
"Yes there is!" She grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her,
"Look at me, I'm talking to you! What is going on?" She asked with irritation growing in her voice.
"Nothing! I'm fine! I'm acting like how I always act!" He shot back with frustration and trying to push her off.
Jenny groaned, throwing her hand up,
"No you're not! You're not talking my ear off like you used to! You're being distant!"
Sheldon shrugged,
"Well, you don't like it when I do, so maybe I'm being considerate!" He folded his arms defensively. He grabbed her hand and pushed through the mall doors,
"Here, we're here now, what would you like?" He said tired of arguing. He didn't want to, especially if it was their last moments together.
"Hmm…" Sighed Jenny glancing around. "I don't know Shel-MMPH?" She was startled as Sheldon instantly kissed her right on the lips. When he stepped away, she looked completely stunned, Brad blinked watching the two of them. Sheldon rubbed his arm in embarrassment,
"Ok, I'm sorry…I know we're already dating and you probably didn't want it yet at this point in our relationship to be so public…but I just couldn't wait any longer…" He defended shyly. She remained silent, still trying to process what happened,
"I know that probably wasn't a bright idea and you're probably downright furious now…but Jen, if you knew…you would understand why I had to do it."
Jenny was barely getting sense of her bearings and blinked, she started to speak,
"Shel…Sheldon, wh-what?" She started to stammer in shock at what just happened.
"THERE'S THAT TITANIUM TWERP!" The three turn their heads to see a heavy middle aged woman and a cop marching towards them. "That's the robot who hurt my babies!"
Jenny stared in disbelief and a little bit scared of the menacing woman,
"What are you talking about?"
The officer raised an eyebrow as he wrote something in his notepad, the lady continued,
"My daughter and niece were terrorized by this rust junk!"
"Hey!" Cried Jenny, but the lady didn't listen and continued,
"She even stole some of our precious jewels that we rightfully owned!" The lady screamed, jabbing a finger at Jenny.
Sheldon frustrated pushed the lady out of Jenny's personal space,
"Jenny didn't do anything to you lady! Just who the heck do you think you are?"
The lady huffed and placed her hands on her hips,
"My name is Karen Krust, my girls Brittany and Tiffany go to school with you boys and your…machine thing." She ended the sentence with distaste and disgust in her voice.
Jenny rolled her optics, that makes sense now,
"Listen lady, I didn't do crap to them! In fact they terrorize me, they literally treat my friends and I like trash!" She growled. Karen scoffed and waved her hand dismissively,
"You're just a piece of metal and my girls are nothing but beautiful fashionable angels! They have a right to hate you, ugly piece of junk!" She spat at Jenny, slightly smirking.
"Officer, she did terrorize my children! She put this in them!" She held up a nanobot, "I found this when Tiffany threw it up, she said this thing forced it on her!"
Sheldon raised his eyebrow, softly spoke in shock,
"My nanobot?" He was completely confused, he hasn't seen that since he asked Jenny out to the dance!
The officer looked at him and back at the nanobot,
"Have you seen this before?"
Sheldon nodded,
"Yea…I made it as a gift to Jenny…"
Jenny raised a hand defensively while holding XJ1 tightly to her chest,
"I promise I haven't seen it since the day he gave it to me!"
Karen continued,
"That wasn't the only thing she did! Trust me! She embarrassed them plenty of times, especially with that ghost friend of hers! Officer, you gotta stop this abomination!"
The officer stared at her in disbelief,
"Ghost friend?"
Jenny shrugged explaining,
"My friend Misty…we just wanted to get back at them…I don't talk to her anymore though."
"See!! This trash needs to go!!" Cried Karen started to go into hysterics, Jenny narrowing her optics out of anger and hatred for this woman and the cousins.
"Officer, please, this thing isn't a person…it doesn't even have feelings!" Karen groaned.
Jenny was now on the verge of tears, she hated it when people disregarded her as an object.
Brad defended,
"Her name is Jenny, lady, and I'll have you know she is just like every other person in this room!!" Karen rolled her eyes as if to say you're crazy and dismissed him.
The officer sighed clearly tired of all the arguing and turned to Jenny,
"Well…XJ9, right?"
She nodded, he tapped his pen and took a breath as he looked through his papers, his eyes widened
" Apparently you weren't supposed to come until later tonight…something about a 24 hour agreement." Jenny raised her optics while Sheldon and Brad looked down nervously.
"A what? Why was I going to come in tonight?" She noticed the boys looking uncomfortable,
"Did you know something about this?" She asked, narrowing her optics feeling frustrated.
"Can't you just take her now?" Groaned Karen frustrated and now breathing heavily.
"Lady, listen, we already had a deal with Wakeman that…"
Karen handed a one hundred dollar bill to the cop with a smug grin on her face, the cop gasped with a smile,
"Or now works too…XJ9, you're under arrest."
Sheldon gasped,
"Hey, she had a few hours left! You can't do that!!" He cried, tears starting to emerge. The cop shrugged as he approached Jenny. "Business kid." He shoved the dollar in his pocket.
Jenny stared in horror,
"A few hours left…What?" Her head felt like it was spinning,
"What are you talking about?? What did I do?!"
Karen chortled,
"You existed, that's what you did." Sheldon lost it and punched her right in the face, earning her a bloody nose
"Kid, enough!" Shouted the officer pushing Sheldon hard onto the floor on his head.
Brad tried to fight the cop by kicking him in the shins, only to be shocked with a taser and had him collapse to the ground.
"Sheldon! Brad!" Cried Jenny as she reached out for them.
She tried to run to help, but was stopped as the officer put the magnetic chain around her neck.
"Please, I need to help! You hurt them!" She cried. The officer grunted holding her back,
"They will be fine!"
Jenny growled,
"You're going to hurt them again, aren't you?"
"Here's the deal…Let me take you in, and I won't punish your friends." The officer frowned.
Jenny sighed, finally stopped resisting. She looked to the ground with Sheldon wincing in pain and Brad still recovering from the electric shock. She started to cry. What the heck is happening? She gulped, she looked down to see a scared XJ1 still lying in her arms. She forced a small smile as tears welled in her optics,
"I'll be ok…I promise…" Her voice cracked as she softly promised her scared baby sister who started to cry as well. She glanced back at the boys still laying on the ground. XJ1 continued to cry, with Jenny trying to soothe her sister by rubbing her head.
"It's ok, it's ok…" She softly spoke to XJ1 trying to be strong for her sister, in reality she was probably more scared then XJ1. What was going on? She hadn't done anything wrong! They mentioned my mom, why did they mention her?! Is she a part of this? And why does it seem like even my sisters and friends knew something? Maybe it's a mistake?
"Let's go XJ9." Commented the officer growing impatient. She sighed, this felt all too familiar. She gazed into XJ1's optics and took in the time she had left with her. She gave a quick kiss on XJ1's egg shaped head and smiled,
"I love you sis." She stared at her friends with a look of distraught,
"Take my sister home…please." Handing off XJ1 to them. "And please get my mom." She pleaded as she started to be led out the door.
Brad and Sheldon stared helplessly as their friend was led out the door, while one held XJ1 who bawled her optics out as she watched her sister get farther and farther away until she disappeared out the door.
The only other sound in the mall was XJ1 crying and Karen laughing like a psychopath.
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"She will be here in a minute." Said Wakeman sadly to the general.
The Skywake Patrol authority waited in her living room along with Wakeman and her sisters
"Did you tell her about the deal?" He asked sternly.
Wakeman shook her head.
"No General Hardscape…I don't know why she isn't here yet."
He grumbled,
"That robot is a menace to society, Wakeman…You have better not have just lost it!"
XJ6 rolled her optics, trying to make light of the situation,
"Heh, that's why I say everyday about my sister…She can be emotional."
The general scowled,
"Stand down XJ6, or you will be joining her!" XJ6 winced hearing that, Wakeman stood between the two,
"General, please, do you think there could be another way?"
Hardscape scoffed,
"No can do ma'am!"
Wakeman sighed,
"Please…I know it's hard to understand…but XJ9 is more than a machine, she's one of my greatest achievements…she's my daughter!"
Hardscape chuckled,
"Still catching feelings for machines, huh Wakeman? She is an AI, a robot! She is not a human! Wake up, Wakeman!" He leans closer and whispers coldly,
"They have been dead for decades…you need to let them go."
Wakeman glared at him, staring into the man's eyes. He did not just go there!
"Girls, can you give us a moment?"
The sisters stared in confusion at what was happening and left to the kitchen,
Wakeman paused for a minute and scuffed her shoe against the carpet in anger, she sighed
"Hardscape…did I ever tell you where I got the XJs AI systems?"
The general shook his head. Wakeman gulped, her chest feeling heavy, she shook her head, her eyes somehow darkened,
"Not from a computer…"
Hardscape starred in bewilderment as if she had lost it. Suddenly Brad and Sheldon come tumbling in with XJ1, both of their eyes bloodshot red,
"They have her! They have her!" Cried Brad panicking.
"Who has her?!" Demanded General Hardscape not wanting XJ9 to get away.
"Skywake Patrol…they have her." Gasped Sheldon feeling immense sorrow.
General Hardscape brightened,
"Excellent! I'll head over now, thank you for your time." He strolled past them and out the door whistling a tune leaving the three stunned in grief.
Sheldon was first to break the silence,
"So is this it?" He mumbled, "Jenny's gone…" He whimpered and looked down to the ground.
Wakeman frowned staring at the ground and shook her head with determination,
"No…She's not. SkyWake may have the permission to bring her in, but they don't have the documents yet to allow them to dismantle her…we still have time to bring her home and maybe, just maybe…" She looked up hopefully, gazing into their eyes,
"Somehow prove she's innocent."
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Author's Note: Well…That chapter was longer and more emotionally taxing than the previous three chapters than I expected haha. Either way, thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!:)
Also Anon- Those are great questions! So Evil Jenny only knows that Vega is Vexus's daughter. So no, she originally was just hoping Vega was going to go along with the enslavement thing, just by virtue of being related to Vexus. Seeing that she didn't, she put her under mind control.
To answer your other question on how SkyWake Patrol knew, Wakeman did have to provide some (very limited) information on the structure of XJ9. Also the plasma cannon left prints on the wounds, so they scanned the prints to match and compare. Similar to how they handle human DNA and fingerprinting, the prints matched Jenny's prints.
And no, Skywake Patrol relies very heavily on themselves, so it wouldn't make sense for them to swallow their pride and build another XJ9 to help save the world.
And for the last question on what Jenny will do…well, you're gonna have to read and find out lol ;)