A/N: Here we are again, guys. I'm still not doing too great-my Tumblr blog still hasn't been restored. I finally did get a message back from Tumblr Support a couple days back though-apparently they deactivated my blog for spam and trafficking, which I don't get. Though looking back on it, it might have been the ads I was unwittingly running. I sent them another message to try and get this clarified and still vainly hoping that my blog gets restored. Though by this time I've sent them like four, five messages, and I'm at my wit's end. I'm actually kind of mad at myself for getting this twisted off about it, but I use Tumblr as a method of coping. Not to mention that this is the THIRD time this has happened to me...
Does anyone (preferably any fellow Tumblr users) have any advice? I don't know what to do now...
Well, just because I'm unhappy doesn't mean other people have to be, so here's the next chapter:
Pierce-So far, this year has had it's ups and downs...
XXPay4XtraShippingsXX-*Tosses you a shirt* Welcome to the Squad. Yeah...the Goat Bros' reunion is going to be interesting, to say the least. Yeah-think I might actually do a test page or two for one of my comics this coming week, just cause.
Warning: This next chapter includes a lot of violence being done to a child. Reader discretion is advised.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.
"You bastard." King Ford whipped around-only to get punched in the face. The sudden blow disoriented him, and Ford actually had to catch the side of a nearby pillar to keep himself from falling backwards.
"Stanley? What is the meaning of…?!"
"I got to meet a couple of the skeletons in your closet." Stan gave his brother a hard, cold glare. "A boy and a girl. Twins." Ford looked at him in understanding.
"They came to you…"
"Damn right they did." Stan's glare worsened. "But that's all you're getting. If you think I'm telling you where we're all living…"
"Stanley, listen to me." Ford held up a furry, six-fingered hand, and Stan snapped at him
"No, YOU listen! Using kids in your twisted experiments-KIDS, Stanford!"
"I was intrigued by their makeup." Ford recalled, going into full 'scientist' mode. "Former humans who retained their souls even after they should have lost them and died, allowing them to keep on living as skeletons. Caught in a limbo of sorts-part human and part monster. If I could harness some of that DETERMINATION…"
"What does it matter what they are?!" Stan spat. "You're not the only one who wants to get out of here, Stanford! But this?! Kidnapping people off the streets to experiment on them?! You've gone full mad scientist, pal!"
"Stanley, would you be quiet for two seconds?!"
"They're the same age as that apprentice of yours." Stan finished. "Would you have experimented on Gideon if…?!"
"STANLEY!" Ford grabbed his shoulders roughly. "I let them go! Alright?! In spite of everything, I couldn't bring myself to continue my experiments. The guilt was just too much for me. So I ordered them released, tasked my trusted Royal Scientist with delivering them far from the kingdom-somewhere I knew they'd be safe." Stan's eyes widened behind his glasses.
"That was you?" Ford sighed heavily.
"I couldn't do it." He let out a pathetic laugh. "A chance to free all my people-and I couldn't go through with it. I picked two kids over thousands of monsters. Some king I am." Stan looked at him in surprise for a second or two longer, not knowing what to do or say. Finally, Ford looked back up at him. "But Stanley-this was a one-time deal. The people-OUR people, are counting on me, and I can't afford to be a bleeding heart. If any other humans ever fall down here…I'll need to gather their souls."
"So you're willing to kill innocent people." Stan's tone wasn't angry, or even upset. It just sounded…flat.
Ford snorted.
"There are no innocent humans, Stanley."
There was no use trying to reason with him, Stan knew right away. He couldn't change his brother's mind. He balled his hands into fists again before turning to walk off.
"You stay away from those kids, Stanford."
Pacifica cried out, just barely avoiding Robbie's attack. For a skinny weirdo who spent all his time in a lab, he was strong.
Then again, he IS a robot…
"Why don't you just give up already?!" Robbie demanded. "A kid like you will never last against Ford. He'll take your soul for sure if you get to him!"
"Isn't that what YOU'RE trying to do?!" Pacifica asked, blowing some hair out of her mouth.
"Yeah, but I don't want to destroy humans." Robbie answered. "I'm not a psycho!" Pacifica started to argue, but Robbie threw some guitar picks at her.
Sharp guitar picks. Pacifica cried out as her face, hands, and legs were sliced up. A strand of her hair was sliced too, and Pacifica glared at him angrily.
"Hey! Watch the hair!"
"I can already hear them cheering for me." A manic look filled Robbie's eyes. "I'm going to be the biggest star in the Underground-AND the human world. I'm finally going to be famous! People will love me!"
"You're insane!" Tears started rolling Pacifica's cheeks. "And I trusted you!"
"Well, that's your own fault for being a sap." Robbie sneered and moved to punch her, and Pacifica just barely got out in time. The robot's fist left a huge dent in the metal wall behind Pacifica, and she gulped in fear.
No way she would've survived that…
Robbie pulled something out from behind his back. A graffiti can.
"What are you…?!" Robbie spray-painted something in midair.
"A giant muffin?"
"It's an explosion!" Robbie protested angrily as the drawing exploded in mid-air. Pacifica was blown backwards, groaning as she tried to pull herself up.
I…I'm not going to get past this. He's too powerful…
Robbie stepped closer, shaking the graffiti can again-and Pacifica's eyes fell on something.
His heart-shaped core…
She looked around for something, anything to help her. A metal cube. She grabbed it in shaking hands, throwing it at Robbie's core.
"Hey! You're going to…!"
POP!
As Pacifica watched, Robbie's arms popped off.
"No way…" The blonde's eyes widened in surprise.
"Augh! What did you do?!"
"I…I didn't know!" Pacifica protested.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, runt!" Robbie kicked Pacifica hard in the ribs, and she went flying against another wall.
Blood went flying from the girl's mouth.
Pain. All she knew was pain.
I can't move! Is this it?! Am I really going to die?!
Her eyes drifted to a packet nearby. Smile Dip, the label read.
Food? Will it heal me? Like the others before? She tried to reach out with shaking fingers, but Robbie directed another kick at her. This time, she couldn't even scream.
The only thing she saw was red. Pacifica opened her mouth in a soundless gasp, trying desperately to at least breathe.
"End of the line, kid."
The next thing Pacifica knew was a mechanical grating, and Robbie's aggravated yells.
"No! Are you kidding me?!"
As the breath returned to her lungs, Pacifica's vision started to clear, and she weakly looked over at Robbie.
He'd been reduced to little more than a torso. Somehow, his legs were gone too. Robbie tried weakly to move, to get up, to do SOMETHING, of course, he couldn't even budge. He let out a defeated sigh.
"Who am I kidding? This body wasn't built for fighting." He looked over at her. "Hey, kid? You still alive?"
Pacifica answered by gasping.
"Hold on…" Robbie closed his eyes and as Pacifica watched, his chassis opened. A dark gray blob with Robbie's hairstyle, nose, and acne floated out of the robot body. A ghost, like Soos.
"Yeah, this is what I really look like!" He snapped. "Don't make a big deal out of it!" Pacifica could only watch wordlessly as he floated over to her, picking the Smile Dip up and ripping the packet open. He dipped the candy stick into the powder, shoving it into Pacifica's mouth.
"Go on. Eat." Pacifica's jaw moved weakly, chewing the tart candy. She used the last of her strength to swallow, and felt her strength returning.
"You okay now?" Robbie asked. "All better?"
"Yeah-I'm alright." Pacifica breathed in and out a few times, getting back to normal. She then pulled herself up, looking at Robbie. "You really tried to kill me!" She tried to sound angry, but her voice was shaking.
"I was stupid." Robbie admitted. "Stupid and desperate. I'm sorry. But you know-you're pretty strong for a kid."
"I am?" Pacifica looked at him in surprise.
"Well yeah!" Robbie said. "I mean, you lasted THAT long. I can see why Wendy and the others like you." Pacifica looked from his true form to his robot body.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
"Dunno." Robbie admitted. "Guess the first thing is to fix my body. Like, recharge my batteries, reattach my limbs…then I'm giving up the Royal Scientist shtick." He looked ahead. "I'm going to work more on my music-try and inspire the monsters down here. Someone has to, you know?" Pacifica then glared at him.
"If you think I'll forgive you…!"
"I don't blame you." Robbie looked down. "I was a jerk."
"To put it mildly!" Pacifica put her hands on her hips, and turned to walk off.
"Hang on!" Robbie said. "Before you go, I have something to tell you." He floated a little closer. "A human soul isn't enough to cross the barrier. You'll need one human soul-and one monster soul." Pacifica's mouth went dry.
"You mean…?"
"Yeah." Robbie nodded. "If you want any chance of getting home-you'll need to kill King Ford."
A/N: Hoo boy...looks like Pacifica won't be able to stay a pacifist for much longer...
What will happen next? Will she really have to kill Ford? Stay tuned to find out, and as always, review!